Cinderella II: Happily Ever After
by KairiAngel13
Summary: Two years after "A Cinderella Story," Wally and Artemis are working on their happily ever after; but the day a green envelope is delivered to the West's home with a chance that could make or break them, the Speedster and the Archer realize that their story is far from being over. The battle of a lifetime awaits. Warning: Mentions of Abuse & Suggestive Sexual Themes. Spitfire AU
1. The Letter

**A/N:** **Hello everyone; it's been two years, but I am finally back with a sequel to "A Cinderella Story" entitled "Happily Ever After." I am sure that at one point in all of your lives, you have wondered what happens to your favorite fairytale characters after the end of their book. Well, this is what happens to our beloved Speedster and Archer after the cover closed to their not so traditional fairytale romance.**

 **It has been two years since Wally and Artemis married and a LOT has changed for our favorite YJ couple. Friendships have deteriorated along with romances, yet new ones have blossomed. Some characters have made huge life changes- some good and some bad. Life goes on and sometimes, it isn't always so sweet. So, let's start our next dramatic adventure shall we?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own the** _ **Young Justice**_ **or the** _ **Young Justice: Invasion**_ **series. Both series were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti and were written by a team of writers consisting of Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Andrew Robinson, Nicole Dubuc, Jon Weisman, Tom Pugsley, and Peter David. I do however own the entire plot of this story and all of the original characters featured in this story. This is simply because I created them from scratch and have turned them into characters and a plot that you will grow to love. With that being said, DO NOT REPRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAYS, SHAPE, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I CREATED THIS STORY, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS BELONG TO ME. Please read, memorize, and abide by this disclaimer.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **KairiAngel13**

* * *

 ** _"The Letter"_**

It was a Thursday in October- the week before Halloween and it was freezing outside. The leaves had long since lost their green color and were an array of burnt oranges, reds, and yellows littered across front lawns, the sidewalks, and the curbs of the street. Wally walked through the front door and shivered as he mentally thanked God that he was finally indoors. The door slammed shut behind him, the sound echoing off the walls of the front hallway and the tall ceiling that stretched up towards the second level of his home. It was silent, the only sounds coming from the fish tank motor in the living room and the air vents circulating heat through the house.

It had been an extremely long day and all the freckled-face redhead wanted to do was kick of his shoes, loosen his tie, grab a Bud Lite from the fridge, and spend the next hour or so watching a crappy film on the living room flat screen. He had just been let out of a meeting with a publisher who had once again shot down his latest novel. His editor and him had gone over Wally's draft at least a dozen times the night before and were sure they had the entire piece polished out for their meeting. Once again, Wally's crime novel had been rejected and now he was back to making changes again.

"What a drag." He groaned up towards the ceiling before looking down at the floor where the day's mail had fallen through the mail slot. There was a newspaper in a plastic orange bag that he'd dropped on the floor beside several envelops on the rug Artemis had bought at a garage sale earlier that year. He crouched down and scooped the items up, looking over the various Amren and credit card bills with either his or Artemis's names stamped at the top. He paused his skimming when his fingers brushed across the smooth surface of a green envelope.

He raised an eyebrow as he moved to set his keys in the ceramic dish on the side table with the bills before examining the envelope. There was a stamp with an eagle on it in the upper right hand corner and the return address was in Colorado. Artemis's name was written in chicken scratch on the center of the envelope in a dull blue ink, a small hole at the end of the lower case S where the tip had poked through the paper. Curiosity overcoming him, Wally slid his index finger under the lip and pried the envelope open before pulling the letter out.

His eyes scanned over the words and slowly came to a stop as he recognized the name of the sender. He stiffened, his breath catching in his throat as his mind began running over all the possibilities as to why this letter had been delivered to his home. His thoughts turned to his cellphone wedged in his back pocket. Artemis had left the social services office early, haven taken a half day to go shopping with Zatanna and her sister. Surely she wouldn't mind learning of this letter?

Biting his bottom lip, Wally slid the letter back into the envelope and tucked it into the jacket of his midnight blue blazer before heading into the kitchen to grab a can of beer.

* * *

The mall was extremely busy for being a weekday. There were hundreds of people moving in and out of the boutiques and other stores as they purchased whatever happened to catch their eye. One would think that it was the holiday season with all the business store owners were getting.

Jade stared into the jewelry case at Marina's Jewelry Shop as she eyed a silver and pink charm bracelet. The bracelet was on sale for forty dollars and had circus animal charms hanging from it. A frown wormed its way onto the twenty-six-year old's lips as she finished doing math in her head. After buying three pairs of shoes from Footlocker, she only had ten dollars left that she would undoubtedly need for gas. Budgeting was starting to become a necessity and she couldn't help but to be a little bummed out.

"Earth to Jade." A humored voice called out to her, pulling her from her thoughts. Jade looked up and saw her younger sister Artemis standing beside her with an amused look on her face. "What is so interesting in that case?"

Jade smiled as she pointed at the charm bracelet. "That bracelet. I think Lian would love to get it for her birthday in a few weeks."

Artemis smiled as her thoughts turned to the ten-year-old redhead. Lian had grown so much in the seven years since Artemis first met her and she couldn't be more proud of the fifth grader. She was earning Straight-As in school, she was on the little league soccer and softball teams, and she was even taking gymnastics lessons. She admired her mother and aunt for all their athletic accomplishments growing up and she was eager to become an "athletic Crock" just like them.

"I'm sure she'd love it Jade. You should get it for her."

"I can't." Jade said as the frown returned to her face. "I spent the rest of my money on shoes for the kids and I don't have enough. The rent is due at the end of the week, so I can't chip into my savings to come up with the rest of the money. Maybe I could put it on layaway and get it for Christmas instead?"

Artemis frowned before setting her few shopping bags down on the floor and reaching into her purse to fish out her wallet. Jade started to shake her head in protest as Artemis pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and handed it to her.

"Artemis, I don't want your money."

"Jade, just take it. Come on. I know you hate handouts, but you really want that bracelet and I am willing to loan you the cash to get it."

Jade pushed her sister's hand away, a stern look on her face; but Artemis grabbed her sister's hand and shoved the wrinkled bill into Jade's palm as an even sterner look crossed her face.

"Jade, take the money and buy that bracelet. Come on; after all the years I spent living with you rent free while you took care of me and Lian it's the least I can do. I will never be able to repay you for all you've done for me. Let's just call this a start, okay?"

Jade looked at her sister and smiled before giving her a quick hug and moving to find a store clerk. Artemis smiled to herself before picking up her bags and heading over to sit on one of the metal benches between the jewelry shop and the appliance store. She watched as Jade spoke with the salesperson and how happy her sister must have been to be able get her daughter the gift she wanted. Her smile then faded as her eyes traveled to her sister's swollen stomach. Jade was six months pregnant with her fourth child- a shock to her elder sister; and the pregnancy couldn't have happened at a worse time.

The metals factory where Roy had been working had gone out of business nearly a year ago and Roy was left unemployed. He had been struggling to find a job since and the entire situation was putting a strain on their family, not to mention their relationship. Jade had taken up a second job waitressing third shifts at a local diner when she wasn't managing pension plans with her state job and she was tired all the time. Roy was now a stay-at-home dad who felt like a failure not being able to support his wife and family; so instead of trying harder to make changes in his life, he spent most of his days in a drunken stupor with bottles of cheap brandy and rum as his only comfort.

Aside from looking after Lian and their second child Halen, the couple also had a three-year-old son named Tristin who, unlike his elder two siblings, was the spitting image of his mother- hair black like the wings of a raven and eyes dark like charcoal. Having three kids and not enough money to support them was stressful; and with another baby on the way, things were continuing to tumble downhill.

Artemis smiled as Jade turned away from the counter with an even brighter smile on her face as she walked towards her sister carrying her bags of shoes and a small black velvet box with the charm bracelet inside.

"She's going to love this Artemis." Jade said as she popped the lid open and poked at the pink elephant charm. "Thank you so much."

"There you guys are!" a cheerful voice came from a few feet away. Jade and Artemis looked up as Zatanna approached holding a lot of bags and a pumpkin spice latte from the Starbucks in the food court. "You guys have got to see the dress I picked out for my date with Sean tonight. He's going to love it!"

Zatanna sat her bags down before pulling a royal blue baby doll style dress out of the largest bag in her possession. The skirt of the dress was dusted with silver sparkles that shimmered whenever the overhead fluorescents shone on them; and both Jade and Artemis knew it was going to look stunning on their raven-haired friend.

"I see someone's trying to impress their new beau." Jade said with a knowing smile as Artemis nodded in agreement. "You're going to leave him breathless Zee."

"That's the plan." Zatanna admitted with a laugh. "I was thinking I could wear it with the silver heels I wore to Artemis and Wally's wedding. I've only worn them a few times since then, so they aren't scuffed or worn out. Oh Jade, could I borrow those silver chain earrings you got for Christmas last year from Megan? They would look perfect with the necklace I just bought last week, don't you think Artemis?"

Artemis laughed at Zatanna's fashion antics as she tightened her ponytail holder that was keeping her back-length blonde hair up in a high ponytail. "Zatanna, we've been over this before. I am _not_ the person to ask for fashion advice. I don't care about that."

Zatanna eyed the chocolate brown sweats with the pink stripe on the side that Artemis was wearing with a matching pink tank top- typical clothing that the former archer usually wears when she isn't at work.

"Maybe we should find you something sexy to wear too while we're here Artemis." Zatanna said as she clapped her hands together. "I'm sure Wally would find you absolutely ravishing in a green off-shoulder sheath!"

"Thanks, but no thanks Zee." Artemis said as her friend took a huge sip of her latte. "I don't need a fancy dress to go out on a date with my husband. Besides, Wally and I don't care too much about 'storybook romance' dates. The perfect evening for us is spent on our black sectional in sweats or PJs with Chinese takeout while playing _Black Ops_ or watching a bad horror flick. As long as we're spending time together, we don't care what we're wearing or doing."

"You guys are too cute for words." Jade said with a laugh as she adjusted the bags in her arms.

Zatanna took another huge sip from her latte before pausing suddenly and looking over Artemis's shoulder. The blonde raised an eyebrow before turning around and freezing as she spied Dick Grayson on several of the mounted flat screens displayed in the electronics shop window. Zatanna approached the window as Jade and Artemis exchanged a glance and followed after her.

Dick was standing on the red carpet at the Wayne Enterprise Fall Gala Event that had taken place the night before while donning a notch lapel tuxedo in all black with a matching bowtie, his infamous aviators on his face. The reporter of the event was going on and on about what a turnout there was for the event as Dick smoothly reached up and removed his aviators, placing them inside the jacket of his blazer and showing off his cerulean blue eyes and flashing a smile for the paparazzi.

"Someone certainly isn't camera shy." Jade said as she crossed her arms over her chest. Artemis spared a worried glance towards Zatanna who had yet to take her eyes off of Dick since he'd appeared on the screen. Her eyes suddenly narrowed as someone else appeared on the carpet next to Dick. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him as she rested a hand on his firm chest and leaned her head against his shoulder.

The woman was absolutely breathtaking to look at- fair skin and beautiful burgundy hair that spilled down her back and over her shoulders in waves, framing her face. She had emerald green eyes and her lips were rosy pink and she was wearing a beautiful mermaid gown of satin purple that hugged every curve of her body.

"Dick Grayson and world famous supermodel Kori Anders have been spotted a lot together recently since Wayne Enterprises hosted the Giovani Taylor Spring Fashion show this past February; and rumors have been swirling around that the two of them have secretly been dating. After his heart was broken following his horrible split from former girlfriend Zatanna Zatara, no one ever thought the heir to the Wayne Family fortune and business was ever going to be happy again; but Cupid has shot his arrow and Dick and Kori have officially confirmed their relationship status as a couple after Dick placed a searing kiss on model Starfire's lips during the gala's red carpet event!

As the reporter continued to cover her story the video footage continued to roll, showing Dick as he cupped Kori's cheek before pulling her lips to his in a passionate drawn out kiss for the cameras before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers.

Jade and Artemis jumped as the loud sound of plastic cracking reached their ears. They turned to Zatanna whose eyes were brimming with tears, her cheeks a deep crimson, as her hand closed around the center of her plastic cup and cracked it. The remnants of her latte oozed through the cracks and began to drip onto the floor forming a puddle at the girl's feet.

"Let's go Zee." Artemis said quickly as she looked around at several onlookers who had taken notice of the girl's distress. Zatanna remained glued to her spot on the floor and Jade and Artemis exchanged worried looks before Jade took the damaged cup from the girl's hand and tossed it into a nearby trashcan before going off to find some napkins. Artemis grabbed Zatanna's arm before leading her away from the appliance shop and off in the direction Jade had gone in.

"I can't believe the nerve of that reporter." Zatanna finally spoke for the first time in minutes, her voice shaking as she struggled to suppress her tears. "How _dare_ she say that he was the victim, that _he_ was the one who got his heart broken? I gave that asshole seven years Artemis and what do I get when those seven years of bad luck are up? Public humiliation!"

Jade quickly returned with napkins from the pretzel shop and handed them to Zatanna who hurried to wipe the foam from her latte off her hands. She then took a seat on a metal bench before burying her face in her hands and sobbing quietly, her sniffles being the only indication that she was even crying at all. Artemis frowned before taking a seat beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders offering her what little comfort she could.

The breakup had been hard on Zatanna in spite of the fact that she was the one who initiated it. No one was sure what had happened between the adopted Grayson and Zatanna. They had been happy- almost as happy as Wally and Artemis. Zatanna was living at Wayne Manor with him and had mapped out their future on multiple occasions to Artemis. They were going to have six kids running around the mansion someday and she was going to be a famous fashion designer while being a supportive and loving wife to Dick as he ran his adoptive father's company. They were going to travel the world and see everything it had to offer.

Zatanna was in several tabloids alongside Dick, the two of them happier than ever and everyone was waiting on him to pop the question. They had a seemingly perfect relationship with no visible cracks on its surface. So when Artemis received a phone call at four in the morning on Christmas Eve last year from a hysterical Zatanna sitting on her front porch steps wearing a night gown and a thin robe, Artemis was stunned. She could sense that something was off with the pair during their usual Christmas Eve party. There was tension radiating off the two of them and she was certain it didn't have to do with Megan's traditional _Twelve Days of Christmas_ rendition. She tried to ask them what was wrong but they'd brush it off like it was nothing. They weren't fooling her, but it was the night before Christmas and she didn't want to spoil the mood.

Seeing Zatanna slumped on the porch in the snow, her fuzzy white slippers damp from the snow made Artemis's heart ache for her friend. She had helped her inside and into the spare bedroom of the house before throwing her mother's old quilt over her and sitting on the floor with her head leaned up against the mattress.

"Living a lie" and "how am I going to get through this" were the only sentences Artemis managed to get out of the girl; so she did what best friends do and held Zatanna's hand as she cried herself to sleep.

Things only seemed to go from bad too worse. When Artemis when to the manor and tried to confront her best friend for treating Zatanna so poorly, he had demanded she leave immediately; but Artemis as stubborn as she wasn't going to go without getting an answer. The incident turned into a screaming match and Dick shoving her out of his study before slamming the door in her face. No one had really spoken to Dick since the incident and Artemis couldn't help but to feel hurt. After all, he was her best friend and had stood by her through the abuse she suffered growing up. Why wouldn't he let her be there for him when he obviously needed someone to lean on?

"Let's go ahead and leave." Zatanna said, pulling Artemis from her thoughts. Artemis looked to her friend who was wiping the smeared mascara from her cheeks with one of the napkins Jade had brought her. "What's the point of crying over someone who doesn't give a damn about me? I have Sean now and that's all that matters."

Artemis could tell that Zatanna was lying, but she didn't press the issue any further. "Come on. Let's go."

* * *

Zatanna barely said a word the entire drive back to Jade's house; and all she did was offer a small wave when she dropped the girls off before speeding away in her blue Volkswagen Beetle. After putting her bags in the trunk of her silver range rover, Artemis followed her sister up the front steps of her townhouse. When Jade got the door open, her mouth fell open at the sight of the hall rug pushed up against the stairs in a bent up fashion. Her antique vase was lying on its side, the roses lying in a clump on the floor and the water pooling beneath the cupboard it had been on top of. The television could be heard on full volume in the living room but it did nothing to drown out the screams of Halen and Tristin who were running around through the hallways with Lian on their tails, screaming and pleading for them to stop.

Artemis spared a glance at Jade who was livid with the disarray of her home. She dropped her bags before storming into the kitchen where her three children were busy running around the table. Jade was shouting commands in a mixture of Vietnamese and English. Tristin could be heard crying while Halen babbled something about the situation not being his fault.

Artemis sighed before going into the living room where the stench of whiskey hit her nose so hard that her lungs ached. A bottle had spilled onto the carpet and was lying on its side next to another bottle that was standing upright. Roy was lying on his back passed out on the loveseat, one of his legs propped up and the other dangling over the arm rest. His right arm was draped across his chest hanging onto a third bottle of whiskey while his left hung over the edge of the couch, the remote lying beside it. His hair was a mess and needed a good watching, and he had stubble coating his chin. Artemis frowned as she walked towards him and snatched the third bottle and the remote, turning the television off and slamming the bottle down on the wooden table top. She sighed before shaking Roy by his shoulders to try and rouse him from his sleep.

"Rise and shine Whiskey Harper." She said as she started to shake him harder. "Come on, get the hell up."

Roy's eyes opened slowly, the whites blood shot and his eyeballs glassy. He was past drunk and Artemis doubted if he could remember anything after making it half way through the first bottle.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Artemis asked as she glared at him, pulling him by the sleeves of the dirtied t-shirt he was wearing as she forced him to sit upright. His eyes widened at the sudden movement and he slumped forward off the couch as he began to gag. Artemis looked around frantically for the small wastepaper basket and snatched it from beside the entertainment center before bringing it to him. She pulled him by his hair, that had grown long past his ears and to his jawline, and moved his head over the bucket as he threw up the liquor burning his stomach.

Five minutes later, he was still heaving and Artemis found herself sitting on the couch above him as she rubbed his back, her gray irises glaring down at him and the mess he'd made of Jade's evening. Jade appeared in the doorway a few minutes later with her hair pulled back in a low ponytail. She was wearing yoga pants and an oversized gray t-shirt that fit her snuggly thanks to her growing belly. She glared at Roy just as her sister was doing before walking over to stand above him. She waited politely for him to finish up before pulling the trashcan away from him and setting it to the side.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded to know. "I trust you to look after the kids when I _finally_ have my first day off in over two months and what do you do? You drink through three bottles of cheap ass liquor and pass out on the sofa like a lazy bum and leave our children to fend for ourselves! Your sons made a mess of my house and Lian made a mess trying to cook them dinner. She's _ten_ Roy! It's not her _job_ to cook for her little brothers. It's _yours_."

"Alright." Roy groaned as he sat upright and leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes.

"No Roy, not _alright_." Jade continued to fume as she stomped her foot. "It is going on nine and the kids haven't had their baths, Lian and Halen don't have any of their homework done, and Tristin was running around in a full diaper that looked like it hadn't been changed since I left here five hours ago! I have put up with your bull for too long Roy and I want you to get your shit together now!"

"Alright." He slurred again as he clenched his fingers into tight fists. "I heard you."

"In case you've forgotten Roy I am pregnant with our fourth child and I am working two jobs to support you and this family. I am tired and achy and I feel sick constantly. There are days when I just want to crawl in a hole and never come out because I am so tired of being sick and tired Roy!"

"For Christ's sake Jade, shut the hell up!" Roy roared as he stood to his feet. "I heard you the first time!"

"You are going out and finding a job tomorrow and I don't care what you have to do to make it happen Roy. You are going to start pulling your weight around here and doing something other than being a useless lump on my couch all damn day!"

"What did you just say to me?" Roy growled as he grabbed Jade by her shoulders, shaking her hard. Jade's eyes widened with horror and Artemis was on her feet in no time shoving Roy away from her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Artemis shouted in disbelief. Roy's eyes were wide as what he'd done started to sink in. His mouth began moving quickly as he tried to form words, but they seemed to be caught in his throat as he stared at a terrified Jade.

"Jade I…I'm so sorry…" he said, his words barely above a whisper.

Jade's eyes filled with tears as she shook her head and began to back out of the room. Roy called to her once more, but she quickly ran from the room. He and Artemis could hear the sound of the bedroom door slamming shut, lock clicking afterwards. Artemis turned back to Roy who looked ashamed of his actions.

"I-I don't know what came over me." He said as he looked at his shaking hands. "This isn't me Artemis. You have to…you have to believe me."

Artemis wrinkled her nose in disgust as the smell of whiskey wafted through her nostrils and made her throat clench. Roy was obviously still drunk, but that didn't excuse what he'd done. He had crossed her line with her sister and knew that there was no going back.

"You should probably stay somewhere else tonight." Artemis suggested.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said quickly, his eyes narrowing in anger. "I need to talk to Jade."

Roy tried to push his way past Artemis, but in spite of being smaller in stature, she was stronger than he was and blocked him.

"Even if you do want to talk to Jade Roy, it isn't going to be tonight. You're drunk and you wreak of booze. After you've had a shower and sobered up, I know she'll be more than willing to allow you to explain yourself. Right now, you aren't going to do anything and upset her more. You're going to remind her of _him_."

Roy's eyes widened for a split second before narrowing as Artemis's explanation repeated in his head. He knew who she was referring to- Lawrence Crock. Their father and the man who had tortured and abused them both physically and mentally for years. He should know better than to put his hands on her regardless of how angry he was. It would do nothing but drudge up painful memories of the past she was fighting so hard to get over- the past that he himself had helped her escape from.

"I'm gonna head over to my uncle Jim's place." He said as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm sure he won't mind me using the pullout."

Artemis nodded. "Do it Roy. Please."

She watched him as he left and didn't move until she heard the front door slam. Thankfully, Jim only lived a short two blocks away from his nephew's home; so Artemis didn't have to worry about him attempting to get behind the wheel of a car. The house was finally quiet and she could only assume that Jade had sent the children to bed. After collecting the empty liquor bottles and taking out the trash, she headed for home.

* * *

Artemis sighed as she stepped through the front door of the house. After kicking off her shoes and setting her keys in the dish on the table she headed towards the kitchen where she could hear the clanking of pots and pans. She smiled as she leaned against the doorframe and watched Wally placing dishes into the dishwasher. When she cleared her throat, he stood upright before turning to her and smiling.

"Hey there Baywatch. Doing a little washing I see."

Wally smiled before crossing the kitchen and snaking his arms around her waist. He began to feather kisses across her face- her forehead, her nose, and her cheeks before capturing her lips in a slow, drawn out kiss.

"Welcome home." He spoke. His voice warm and welcoming. "How was the shopping trip."

Artemis sighed as her thoughts turned towards the three bags she had left in the trunk. She could've gone out to get them, but it was freezing outside and she didn't feel like making a second attempt at venturing out into the fall night.

"Lousy." She admitted as Wally led her over to the table. He pulled a chair out and sat down before pulling her onto his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder and he placed his chin on her head before sighing deeply.

"What did Zatanna force you to buy this time?"

"She didn't force me to buy anything. She was actually in a pretty sour ass mood, but I don't blame her. The Fall Gala was on the display televisions in the mall and Zatanna caught a glimpse of Dick's new arm candy Kori."

"Starfire?" Wally asked, his voice sounding surprised.

"Who is Starfire?" Artemis asked.

"That's what everyone calls her in the tabloids- Starfire. She's one of the biggest models in the industry right now, hence the word star. Then there's the fact that her hair is fiery red- fire. Get it babe?"

Artemis giggled at his explanation before sitting upright and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She then stood from his lap as she moved to finish loading dishes into the dishwasher.

"Any who, Zatanna was pretty upset so we decided to leave; but when we got to Jade's house, the house was a wreck and the kids were running around like little heathens. Meanwhile, your dear buddy Roy Harper was passed out drunk on the couch with a wrestling match on full blast while his children ran amuck in the house. He and Jade got into it and he shook her…"

Artemis grew silent and Wally could feel the distress radiating off of her. He stood to his feet slowly as his eyes travelled to the envelope holder on the small section of their counter next to the Keurig machine where the green envelope from earlier was resting at the front.

"Jade was scared when he shook her. I mean, I don't think he hurt her…but I think the action alone was enough to remind her of Lawrence, you know?"

When Wally didn't answer, Artemis raised an eyebrow and turned around. She saw him pulling a green envelope from its spot in the holder as he bit his bottom lip. Something was wrong.

"What is it?" she asked as she placed the dirtied plate in her hands down on the countertop. Wally walked towards her and handed her the envelope. She glared at him when she saw her name on the front and the flap of the envelop torn open.

"You opened my mail?" She said in disbelief.

"I know I had no right to…but Artemis, I had to. I was unsure of what the letter was about and when I saw the return address was in Colorado, I panicked."

Artemis's glare softened as she pulled the stationary paper out and unfolded it. Her eyes skimmed over the words written on the page and slowly, her facial expression changed to one of fear. Wally wrapped an arm around her waist and supported her as she leaned against him as her eyes rested on the name of the sender.

"What do you want to do?" he asked after giving her enough time to read.

Artemis took a shaky breath before looking up to meet his gaze. "We need to leave tonight."

* * *

 **A/N:** **So what was in the letter from Colorado and why does it have Wally and Artemis so scared? Well, the only way to figure out the answer to this question and any other questions that you have is to leave a review and wait patiently for the next update. See you soon guys!**


	2. The Visit

**A/N:** **Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter of this story. I know I squeezed a lot into the opening chapter, but there are so many characters that I am working with and so many subplots that are going to contribute to the overall plot of the story that I have to get a lot of information out of the way as soon as possible. So, I hope you all don't mind. Any who, let's get on with the next chapter!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own the** _ **Young Justice**_ **or the** _ **Young Justice: Invasion**_ **series. Both series were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti and were written by a team of writers consisting of Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Andrew Robinson, Nicole Dubuc, Jon Weisman, Tom Pugsley, and Peter David. I do however own the entire plot of this story and all of the original characters featured in this story. This is simply because I created them from scratch and have turned them into characters and a plot that you will grow to love. With that being said, DO NOT REPRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAYS, SHAPE, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I CREATED THIS STORY, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS BELONG TO ME. Please read, memorize, and abide by this disclaimer.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **KairiAngel13**

* * *

 ** _"The Visit"_**

Artemis had been through her fair share of hell throughout her twenty-three years of life that she should be used to the feeling of fear nesting in the pit of her stomach; but in all honesty, she wasn't. As she sat in the waiting area of the ADX prison in Colorado she could hardly contain her fear and what she was about to face in a few short minutes.

A warm handed rested on her back and Artemis sighed before turning to face the owner of the hand- her Wally. He smiled at her lovingly before kissing her forehead and wrapping an arm around her shoulders to pull her close. He simply held her for the next ten minutes that they spent waiting and she couldn't thank him enough for the comfort he brought her. She still couldn't get used to how the simple beating of his heart could make her feel so at ease even in the most stressful of times. Perhaps it was because it served as a constant reminder that he was alive and breathing and that she was the only person who had access to the valued organ?

"Artemis West?" the guard called her name from his place at the counter. Artemis stood to her feet quickly and smoothed out the wrinkles in her blouse. She then took Wally's hand as he stood beside her before the two of them walked towards the counter.

"I'm Artemis." She said as she forced a smile.

The Warden, an older and larger black gentleman who appeared to be in his late fifties gave a simple nod before grabbing two visitors' badges and passing them to her. She turned to Wally and clipped his onto his yellow and blue striped polo while he attached hers to her blouse. They then took each other's hand again before following after the guard who motioned for them to follow him towards a security locked door.

"I'm afraid I can only allow one visitor at a time with the prisoner." The Warden spoke as they walked down a long concrete hallway that smelled like a mixture of mothballs and a locker room at a recreational center. "I'll let your husband wait outside the room for you so he won't be too far away, but you'll be the only one allowed in the room."

"Wait a minute, are you serious?" Wally asked suddenly getting upset. "Do you have _any_ idea what kind of man that monster is and the hell he put my wife through for most of her life? I'll be damned if I let her face him alone."

"Wally, I'll be fine." Artemis reassured him once they'd reached the back entryway to the visitor commons. Wally was about to protest, but Artemis reached her free hand up to cup his cheek They locked eyes for a moment as Artemis silently tried to reassure him that everything would be alright.

"You have ten minutes." The guard spoke as he swiped his security card in the provided scanner to unlock the door. Wally released Artemis's hand and she gave him anther reassuring smile before heading into the room, the door beeping as it closed behind her.

* * *

It had been three years since Artemis had visited ADX and she never thought she was going to have to set foot inside of the dangerous containment unit ever again. She was alone in the small room that was about the size of her living room back home and she didn't like it one bit. The door connecting to the prison unit beeped before it was open and Artemis took a deep breath as a man with dirty blonde hair, carrying a briefcase stepped into the room. The sound of shackled chains could be heard as he stepped aside to let his client into the room and Artemis's eyes widened in disbelief as the man who had summoned her stepped into the room.

He had a shaggy blonde beard clinging to his jaw and his hair had grown well past his ears, causing him to look almost like a shaggy dog. His eyes were a dull and worn out gray with dark circles rimming them like a racoon and he was extremely skinny, all of his muscles having lost their mass long ago. This man looked deathly ill and it worried her. This man was her father- Lawrence Crock.

The lawyer led her father over to Artemis before helping him sit in one of the provided metal folding chairs. He himself then took a seat before motioning for Artemis to sit down; but the blonde shook her head quickly, not wanting to join in on their close circle. The guard who had brought Lawrence into the room stood by the door he'd came through, his eyes watching his prisoner the entire time. One mistake and Lawrence would be drug back to his cell for a few hours until the slop was ready for his daily nourishment.

"My, my, look at you." Lawrence spoke in his familiar tone- his throat sounding rough as though he'd smoked an entire pack of menthols and choked on the smoke for two hours. "You look like you're doing well baby girl."

Artemis flinched as his old nickname for her passed through his lips. Her right hand started pulsing with the urge to slap the taste out of the man's mouth, but she took a deep breath and decided to use her mouth instead.

"Thanks. I can't say the same for you. What the hell Lawrence? You've really shot yourself straight to hell haven't you?"

He chuckled for a moment, and stopped as he started hacking. Artemis flinched as she watched him cough. The sound was horrible and made her think of the engine of an old motorcycle popping as it struggled to keep the bike alive and running.

"Can't say I don't deserve it." He admitted once his coughing fit finished. "I'm glad you showed up baby girl."

"Well I'm not." Artemis snapped. "You sent me a letter saying that you're in the ending stages of lung cancer and that you needed to see me right away. Tell me why?"

"Allow me to explain Ms. Crock." The lawyer spoke up suddenly.

"It's _Mrs. West_." Artemis corrected him as her eyes narrowed.

"Oh yes, my mistake." The lawyer said uninterestedly as he dusted off his shoulders and forced a smile. "Your father's physician has given your father only a few short months to live- six to be exact. Being that he's locked up here, he hasn't been able to receive the proper health care needed for him to get better; but Lawrence has decided to accept his fate as punishment for his crimes."

Artemis could feel her chest constrict painfully as the lawyer explained her father's situation more in depth than he had in the letter. She cleared her throat before crossing her arms over her chest.

"What does this have to do with me?" she wondered.

"Well Artemis, you and Jade are the only living relatives that your father has and being that your father isn't legally married to anyone, he has no one to help in handling his affairs. Jade would never be a willing participant in these matters and your father was well aware of that. So he told me to contact you and make you the beneficiary of his will once his six months are up. You are officially his next of kin and you are responsible for handling his affairs from this day onward."

"What makes you think I want any part of this?" Artemis shouted in disbelief as she waved her arms about. "You abused me and Jade for years and whored us out to your debt collectors in order to make up for your mistakes and you honestly believe that I would _want_ to help you?"

"Of course I believe that baby girl." Lawrence said as he stared at her sadly. "Look, I know that I will never be able to make up for the hell I put you and Jade through, but I was a different man back then than I am now. I honestly just want to die in peace knowing that I was finally able to do something right for you."

"Stop it!" Artemis shouted as her throat constricted painfully, her eyes starting to burn. "There is absolutely _nothing_ you can say that is going to get me to help you. Why should I help you, huh?"

"Because you're my daughter." Lawrence said, his voice cracking. Artemis gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief as for the first time since she could remember, tears streamed down Lawrence's face. "You and Jade are my daughters and I know I didn't treat you right. I know I didn't care back then but I care now."

Artemis was silent as she watched the frail shell of the man she once knew cry. She looked away from him and closed her eyes.

"Why?" she managed to get out.

"Because of you."

Artemis turned back to him and shot him a glare, demanding that he hurry up and explain why she was the reason for his change of heart.

"What did I do?" she wanted to know.

Lawrence sighed as he wiped away the tears staining his cheeks. "When you came to visit me a few years ago, the last time that I saw you…you told me you forgave me for everything that I had done. Don't you remember?"

Artemis's eyes narrowed as she thought back to the visit she'd paid to her father a few months before her wedding two years ago.

* * *

 _Artemis glared at him before her look softened into one of pity. "I just wanted you to know that in spite of everything you have done to me in the past…I forgive you."_

 _Lawrence's eyes widened in shock. He certainly hadn't been expecting to hear that. His eyes studied his daughter's face and it suddenly dawned on him how much more mature she looked. Her hair had grown back twice as long as it had originally been, but she wore it loose instead of pulling it back into a ponytail. Her eyes looked worn and tired, yet they looked so full of wisdom. Her face had matured and she no longer held that youthful glow. She looked like her mother and that scared him to the core._

" _You hurt me so deeply with all of the abuse, neglect, and exploiting that you did to me and Jade when we were younger dad…but in spite of all of the hurt and pain you put me through, I managed to make something of myself. I just wanted to come here to finish off this chapter of my life so I can move on._

* * *

"What you said to me that day really hit me hard baby girl." Lawrence said as he stared down at his hands that were folded in his lap, resting on the pants of his orange jumpsuit. "I wanted to hate you. I wanted to be angry at you because you were the main reason I was put in here; but after hearing that after everything I did to you that you forgave me…it hurt worse than anything I have ever felt in this world. You don't have to believe me Artemis, but I am asking you to please…at least consider this offer. It would be nice to die with a clear conscience. I want you to handle the rest of my affairs. I want you…the one person who managed to get me to see just how much of a bastard I was back then to benefit the most from my death."

The burning in Artemis's throat and eyes was starting to become unbearable as she stared at Lawrence in disbelief. She cleared her throat before focusing her attention on the lawyer who was watching the situation with interest.

"I need some time to think." She spoke, her words coming out in a whisper as she struggled to hold it together.

"Very well Mrs. West, I understand." The lawyer spoke as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. "My phone number is on the bottom. You give me a call in about a week with your decision. I hope that you will help put Mr. Crock's mind at ease."

Artemis took the card and nodded before locking gazes with her father once more. He smiled at her.

"Mrs. West huh?" he said as he eyed the ring on her finger. "It has a nice ring to it. Looks like that redheaded kid I thought was no good actually turned out to be something special. He managed to take the broken girl I raised and made her into a strong, beautiful woman."

Artemis backed away slowly, her mind screaming for her to get away; so she did just that. Spinning on her heels and offering no words of goodbye, she ran from the room and out the door until she was halfway down the hall. She didn't realize she was crying until she took a sharp intake of breath, the sound of her gasp echoing loudly around her and ringing throughout her ear drums. She collapsed to her knees and sobbed as she wrapped her arms around her waist, the business card she'd taken from the lawyer being crushed in her grip as she rocked herself back and forth.

A few seconds later, she could feel Wally's arms embrace her from behind as he pulled her close and held her as she continued to fall apart.

"I'm so weak." She choked out as she struggled to breathe, the frail image of her father burned into her memory.

"You're not weak babe." Wally said as he tried his hardest to console her. "Being able to face the guy who tortured you for sixteen years is probably the strongest thing that anyone can do."

"That's just it Wally, I can't face him. Not like that. Seeing him like that…it really got to me. How can I be strong when for the first time in my entire life…I feel bad for my father?

* * *

 **A/N:** **Okay, so it was a lot shorter than the first chapter and no one else was featured but our beloved Spitfire; but I had to introduce the purpose of the letter! So what's going to happen next? Review, and I'll be back soon to let you know!**


	3. The Decision

**A/N:** **Hey everyone; I am back with the next chapter. Thanks to those of you who have been leaving me reviews. I am pleased that this fandom hasn't died and that you all are still interested in what's happening two years after the conclusion to "A Cinderella Story." Thank you for the reviews, PMs, and words of encouragement. You guys are awesome!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own the** _ **Young Justice**_ **or the** _ **Young Justice: Invasion**_ **series. Both series were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti and were written by a team of writers consisting of Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Andrew Robinson, Nicole Dubuc, Jon Weisman, Tom Pugsley, and Peter David. I do however own the entire plot of this story and all of the original characters featured in this story. This is simply because I created them from scratch and have turned them into characters and a plot that you will grow to love. With that being said, DO NOT REPRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAYS, SHAPE, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I CREATED THIS STORY, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS BELONG TO ME. Please read, memorize, and abide by this disclaimer.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **KairiAngel13**

* * *

 ** _"The Decision"_**

Artemis sighed as she sat down on the edge of her bed at the hotel. She and Wally had checked in a little over an hour ago and the redhead had gone off to find them something to eat. Artemis was too upset after visiting with Lawrence to go along with him; but Wally was more than willing to go alone and give her some much needed time to think over the situation. She hadn't expected to react to the situation in the way she had. After all, Lawrence paralyzed her mother before kidnapping both her and Jade and raising them in an abusive and dictated home for years. The entire experience was still traumatizing after seven years of being away from the monster; but with the help of Wally, her friends, and the shrink she'd started seeing after months of her mother's begging, she slowly learned how to cope with the burden of being the survivor of an abusive relationship between a mother and her uncaring father. However, she was starting to think that she wasn't coping with things as well as she thought.

Seeing the man who was once a power-hungry tyrant reduced to an empty shell of the former man he used to be left Artemis visibly and internally shaken. Most people would say that dying from cancer was the proper punishment that Lawrence deserved. It would be painful and he would be miserable up until the day that he took his final breaths; but Artemis surprisingly didn't want such a fate for him. She wanted him to live a long life in perfect health so he would live every single day with the gnawing guilt and regret of what he had put her, her sister, and her mother through. He was given a life sentence at ADX, in the state where most of his notorious crimes were committed and he needed to finish off that sentence. Dying was the easy way out.

The blonde was pulled from her thoughts as her cellphone began vibrating noisily on the nightstand table from an incoming call. She snatched the android up and slid her index finger across the screen before holding the screen up to her ear, the cool glass of the screen chilling her cheek.

"Hello?"

 _"So, when were you going to call and tell me that you and Wally took a last minute field trip to the ADX to see the sperm donor?"_ Jade's voice blared in her ear. _"I have to hear from Zatanna who's busy dog sitting for you and Wally instead of hearing it from my sister's mouth. That bastard is unfortunately my father too. So, why didn't you tell me you were going to see him?"_

Artemis laid back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling as she sighed. "It was a last minute decision Jade. The letter Lawrence's lawyer sent me was on the floor when Wally got home yesterday. The letter said it was urgent that I meet with him because Lawrence is in the final stages of lung cancer and doesn't have much time left. He wants me to handle his affairs before he dies."

 _"I can't believe you fell for that bullshit Artemis. You're smarter than that! Come on, it's obviously a trap."_

"It isn't a trap Jade. I saw him earlier today and he really is dying. He looks like he's on five-percent battery life if you know what I mean. He's pale and weak...I barely recognized him at all. I hate to say this, but I actually feel bad for him. I don't want this to be the kind of fate that he suffers."

 _"Who cares what happens to him Artemis? That man is a conniving and sinister son of a bitch who deserves every single thing that the Gods have in store for him. I hope he dies a slow painful death and burns in eternal damnation once his soul has moved on from this world. It would be a very satisfactory ending to the story of the King Cobra."_

"Jade stop it, okay? I know this is hard for you, but you have no idea what I saw back in that prisoner holding area. You sound so ruthless and cruel. I hate him just as much as you do and I have every right to. I mean, I stayed with him a _lot_ longer than you did Jade. He does deserve to be punished for what he put us through. I get that; but dying from a disease that has no cure and having to see him hacking for breath and struggling to stay alive...it's not the kind of thing that you would want to see or wish upon a human being regardless of the things they've done."

Jade released an audible sigh while Artemis waited patiently for her sister's reaction; but before Jade could speak, Artemis could hear the front door to her sister's home slamming shut in the background. Lian's little voice could be heard speaking to someone rather quickly. A male voice then joined in beside her sounding tired and defeated. Artemis guessed that Roy was home from his uncle's place and was making his way back into the hell that he had created the night before.

 _"Roy just walked in."_ Jade said, her voice quiet. _"We kind of need to sort out what happened last night, so I'm gonna let you go. Just please Artemis...keep what I said in mind. Lawrence is and always will be a master manipulator. If you agree to handle his affairs, you could be taking a step right back into the hell that created for us. I'm your sister and I'm just looking out for you okay? I've got to go. I love you."_

"I love you too Jade. I'll call you tomorrow to check on things between you and Roy."

 _"Right. Goodnight."_

Artemis ended the call and tossed her phone to the other side of the bed just as the bedroom door unlocked with an audible click. Wally stepped into the room with a plastic bag from a local restaurant in his hand. He gave her a warm smile in greeting as he moved to set the bag on the wooden table just beside the patio doors.

"Hi." Artemis said sweetly as she stood from the mattress that squeaked from the loss of her weight. She walked over to her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist to pull him close to her. Wally smiled as he rested her head on top of hers.

"You seem to be doing much better than you were when I left. Was I gone too long?"

Artemis shook her head, the fabric of his shirt tickling her nose. "Not at all."

She smiled up at him as he cupped her cheek before bringing their lips together in a small kiss. He pulled away from her and grinned like he was a goofy sixteen-year-old all over again.

"So Speedster, you managed to find us some grub did you?" Artemis joked as she poked his chest to lighten the mood.

"Yes Archer." he laughed as he played along with her and moved to remove the food from the bag. "I managed to snag you quite the meal- Chicken Alfredo from a nearby pasta house and a plain garden salad, equipped with French dressing and feta cheese. Just like you like it."

Artemis giggled before moving to sit down while Wally took the seat opposite her to pass out their food.

"I know it's not one of my home cooked meals," Wally began as he scooted her bowl over to her, "but it's the next best thing."

Artemis smirked before pushing her plastic fork and knife through their plastic wrap to begin eating. The food was delicious, but she had to admit, Wally's Chicken Alfredo tasted so much better. Once the two of them moved in together after high school, Wally decided to take on the responsibility of cooking their meals since he was taking online classes and worked for a webdesign company from home. Artemis was a full-time student and worked night shifts at the diner, so she never had time to cook meals. A few years and two bachelor's degrees later, the two of them were both working in fields they loved, but the cooking routine hadn't changed at all. Wally didn't mind since he came from a family of talented cooks, so he took pride in being able to feed his wife when she came home after a busy day of handling social work cases.

"How's the food taste?" Wally asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

Artemis smiled as she stabbed her fork into another bit of pasta. "I'd give it a six. The sauce is too salty for my liking. Then there's the fact that I didn't get enough chicken. Looks like you'll have to whip me up an award winning ten batch when we get back to Gotham."

Wally laughed as he took a bite of his own meal. The two of them dined for about half-an-hour, scarfing down their meals and laughing at just about everything. Artemis could tell throughout dinner that Wally was trying to avoid mentioning her visit with Lawrence, and she was grateful for that. If there was anything that she didn't want to happen at that time, it would be being pressured into making a decision in regards to Lawrence's affairs. She and Wally had been happily married for two years and had been together for a total of seven. They had fallen into a comfortable routine that made her happy; and she would be damned before she allowed a surprise from Lawrence to ruin it.

* * *

Wally spit a glob of toothpaste into the sink as he finished brushing his teeth. He then grabbed a washcloth to wipe his face and clear it of the leftover residue while keeping an ear out for Artemis who was busy watching a "Law & Order: SVU" re-run on the television. His thoughts turned towards a certain phone call he had received on his way back to the hotel from the restaurant. He had wanted to mention it to Artemis as soon as he got back, but he figured that feeding his distressed wife was a little more important. Now that dinner was finished and the two of them were comfortable in their flannel bottoms and tanks, now was as good a time as any.

"I have a bit of a confession to make." he called out to her before shutting off the lights and stepping into the room.

Artemis was sitting at the provided vanity brushing her long hair while half listening to the television. "Oh, what's that?"

Wally walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as he watched her reflection in the mirror. "Let's just say...I got a phone call from an old friend. Dick if I want to be truthful."

Artemis stopped brushing mid-stroke, her fingers curling tightly around the brush's handle. "What?"

"Yeah, he called me. He sounded pretty worn out and perhaps a bit nervous. Could be because he was calling me out of the blue. Or maybe it's because I practically bit his head off the last time we spoke for how he treated you."

"The breakup was pretty hard on him and Zatanna." Artemis said reassuringly to herself more so than for Wally. "He was in a bad mood when you two spoke so I don't blame you for biting his head off. Still, even after we gave him time to cool down, he still chose to stay away from you, me, and the others. He cut everyone who had ties to him and Zatanna off without an explanation and retreated into the world of the rich and the famous."

"He knows what he did and he even apologized to me for all of that. He asked me if I could talk you into going to see him at the manor when we get back to Gotham. He says that he really misses you, and I know that you miss him too Arty."

Artemis set her hairbrush down before standing from the vanity and heading over to the sliding doors that led out to the balcony. Wally followed after her and closed the door behind him. The nighttime Colorado air had a slight chill to it, the temperature having dropped into the mid-fifties with the loss of the sunlight.

"You're mad." Wally stated simply, already knowing the answer as he stared at her back.

"Of course I'm mad." she breathed out in a huff. "Dick is my best friend, at least I thought he was. We've never gone this long without talking before and his silence...it hurts Wally. I never told him that we couldn't be friends because Zatanna broke up with him. For Pete's sake, I was friends with him _long_ before Zatanna even moved to Gotham! The fact that he could just ignore me and push me away when all I wanted to do was be there for him and help him through a tough time hurts like hell. He's my best friend and I love him."

Wally smiled knowingly before wrapping his arms around her from behind as they both stared out over the balcony and over the top linings of buildings, off in the distance where the full moon could be seen in the distant sky. Artemis leaned back into his embrace as she listened to the sound of him breathing.

"I'll call him tomorrow." she decided. "It's been way too long and I want to get things back on the right path. This time, nothing is going to stop me from getting through to him. Not his job, not our marriage, not his celebrity status, and not even his relationship with Kori. I will fix things with him no matter what."

Wally smiled, but the smile quickly faded as his thoughts turned towards their other dilemma of the day. "Have you given any thought to your decision concerning Lawrence?"

"He's a vindictive son of a bitch Wally, and I hate him for all that he put me and my family through. Jade thinks I should abandon the situation entirely and leave him all alone to die, but I don't have it in me to do that. Whether I like it or not, Lawrence is my father. He is part of the reason that I even exist. Besides, he seemed genuine earlier about wanting to make amends. I still need a little more time to think, but I actually think that I'm going to help him after all."

Wally was silent as she came to her decision. He felt Artemis shifting within his embrace and he released her to fold his arms over his chest. She turned around to face him and he was immediately captivated by her beauty just like he had been many times before. This time however, the light from the full moon behind her seemed to enhance her beauty even more and made her glow in such a way that it stole his breath away. Her blonde tresses seemed to glow with a white hue under the moonlight and her eyes seemed to be a pale purple rather than their usual stormy gray. Artemis blushed under his intense gaze and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What is it?" she asked with a soft smile.

Wally said nothing before pulling her back into his embrace and kissing her deeply, their chests pressing together as a moan escaped from both their lips. Artemis's head was spinning, her lungs constricting from the lack of air as her lips ground against Wally's in a gentle passion. Wally broke the kiss for a quick second before capturing her lips once more. He scooped her up into his arms bridal style and she didn't squeak or squeal like she normally would. Instead, she wrapped her arms securely around her lover's neck and deepened their kiss, sending him a response to his more than obvious message. The two of them had been so busy as of late, him with his book and her with her job, that they hadn't had enough time to enjoy each other and the feel of their bodies. They needed to ignite their closeness, their bond; and since their flight wasn't scheduled to leave until two the following afternoon, they had more than enough time to bring themselves back to a level of deep-seeded passion.

Wally carried Artemis back through the sliding door, closing it behind him with his foot while their lips never parted. He then gently laid her down onto the bed and pulled away from her to stare into her eyes. He made a grab for the light switch before rejoining her on the bed for a long, yet enjoyable evening they would spend between the hotel sheets, locked in each other's embrace.

* * *

 _"Hey there Mr. Atteberry. It's me, Artemis. I'm sorry, but I don't think I have it in me to come and meet with you at this time. I'm also sorry that you missed my call. I just wanted to say that...I will be accepting Lawrence's offer. I'd like to meet with you sometime soon so we can discuss what needs to be tended to in full detail. I'm sure there's more to handling Lawrence's affairs than collecting money that he has stashed away. I know he doesn't have much time left; and as much as I hate to admit it, I don't want him to die while I continue to harbor so much hatred towards him. I'm hoping to change all of that before his time is up. So in order to rectify the situation, I will be making a few trips back to Colorado within the approaching months to try and establish closure between the two of us. Please...tell him for me, okay? Bye."_

* * *

Artemis sighed as she ended her message and stepped out of her car. She stared at her destination perched on its hill in all its glory before taking a deep breath to calm herself. The last thing she needed or wanted to do was to cause a huge scene from not being able to keep her temper in check. She looked at her reflection in the car window and smoothed out the wrinkles in her yellow Hollister shirt before tightening her hair tie to secure her ponytail. She then headed to the front door and rang the bell. It opened a few seconds later, the person on the other side staring at her in surprise that quickly turned into delight.

"Madame Artemis, it's great to see you. What brings you to Wayne Manor?"

"I'd like to see Dick Alfred. It's time we have a little chat."

* * *

 **A/N:** **And there you have it folks. Dick and Artemis are about to speak to each other for the first time since Dick and Zatanna's nasty split. Wondering if the truth behind his and Zee's split will come out? Leave me a review and you might just find out. Until next time!**

 **-KairiAngel13**


	4. The Reunion

**A/N:** **I'm back with the next update. Thanks to those of you who have been reading and reviewing; and thanks to those of you who have added this story to your favorites list. Keep them coming. I love them all!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own the** _ **Young Justice**_ **or the** _ **Young Justice: Invasion**_ **series. Both series were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti and were written by a team of writers consisting of Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Andrew Robinson, Nicole Dubuc, Jon Weisman, Tom Pugsley, and Peter David. I do however own the entire plot of this story and all of the original characters featured in this story. This is simply because I created them from scratch and have turned them into characters and a plot that you will grow to love. With that being said, DO NOT REPRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAYS, SHAPE, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I CREATED THIS STORY, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS BELONG TO ME. Please read, memorize, and abide by this disclaimer.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **KairiAngel13**

* * *

 ** _"The Reunion"_**

Dick Grayson was sat at the desk in Wayne Manor's study as he read over one of the board's latest business proposals. His secretary Karen Sheffield had left several file folders down at his office earlier that day, and he had gone to pick them up after his golf game with a fellow entrepreneur. Sadly, he had barely made a dent in his work and it was starting to take a toll on him. The former boy genius and tech wiz was now Co-CEO of Wayne Enterprises, his adoptive father Bruce Wayne's pride and joy. He was a huge part of the company and had his own private office down at headquarters, along with an extensive amount of vacation time, and even access to his own private jet. In spite of all the perks that came with the job, there was no place he liked to work more than in the private comfort of his own home. There was no one to bother him with annoying questions and he welcomed the solitude that accompanied him during his work, unlike the dreadful sound of overhead vents, copy machines running, file cabinet doors slamming shut, and dreadful office chatter. Then there was the paparazzi that chased him around just about everywhere that he went.

With a heavy sigh, he removed his aviators and pinched the bridge of his nose as he set them down on a stack of books. He had been ignoring the tension headache forming at his temples and the gnawing feeling of hunger clawing at the innards of his stomach for nearly an hour, and the thought of Alfred making him a club sandwich was enough to drive him crazy. He groaned as he leaned back in his swivel chair and stared up at the stone molded ceiling.

"Taking a break are we darling?" a sweet voice called out to him from the doorway. Dick sat upright in his seat, a smile on his face as he watched Kori walk into the room wearing an extremely tight black dress with no sleeves. The pathway to her cleavage was peeking very obviously over the top of the dress. She was also wearing a giant red belt with matching pumps. Her red hair was in waves cascading over her shoulders and down her back in a fiery blaze, yet none of it was hanging in her face or covering her ears, allowing her diamond studs to be seen.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with a small chuckle as he stood from his seat and pulled the beautiful siren into his arms. "I thought you would have left for the airport by now?"

"I decided to take a later flight to Europe so we could spend a little alone time together before I go. My flight doesn't leave for another hour, so we have a little time. I know you're a busy man Mr. Grayson, but everyone needs to stop and have a little fun every now and again."

Dick smiled as Kori pushed herself against him, forcing him to back up against the front edge of his desk. She smirked seductively and as if on cue, the young entrepreneur's hands wove their way into her long hair. He gently pulled her face to his, their lips melding together with a unified "hum." Dick held her face within the palms of his hands, his thumbs gently rubbing circles onto the smooth skin of her cheeks, as she leaned in closer to him. Her chest pressed against his as she raised her right knee, brushing it against the front of his dress pants. She smirked into their kiss as a moan passed through his lips, giving away just how badly he wanted her. She repeated the motion once, then twice before she was pushed away. She laughed as Dick turned around and pushed everything off the top of his desk sending the items crashing onto the floor. He then picked her up and tossed her onto the desk before climbing up and on top of her, the two of them playing an extreme game of cat and mouse with their tongues.

Of course, the incredibly handsome Dick Grayson won the battle and began to trail kisses along her jawline as his lips maneuvered their way towards her neck; all the while, his hands pushing up the hem of the little black dress that was squeezing her body tight. Just as Kori's hands slid from his back to the buttons of his dress shirt, the two were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat rather loudly. The two lovers stopped immediately, their heads snapping towards the doorway where Artemis stood, her arms folded over her chest as she watched them with an amused look on her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry." she said playfully. "Am I interrupting you Grayson?"

"A-Artemis?" Dick stammered, his cheeks tinting to a bright pink that didn't even begin to compare to Kori's face that was a deeper red than her hair.

"Surprised to see me? I'd be surprised to see me if I were you too. After all, it has been _months_ since we last saw each other; and I've got to say, I'm rather hurt. Not a call or a text? What's up with that?"

"Dick, who is this girl?" Kori asked, a warning tone in her voice that screamed 'explain before I rip off your groin here and now.' Dick climbed off of her quickly and smoothed out the wrinkles in his dress shirt before helping her up, adjusting the top of her dress.

"I'm Artemis West, but don't worry lady. I'm am no threat to you. Unless you consider me being his best friend as threat worhty."

"Yeah, my best friend who should have called before coming to visit." Dick said with a chuckle as he scratched the back of his head.

Artemis laughed and Dick couldn't help but to smile. It had been so long since he'd heard her laughter and it reminded him just how much he had missed her all this time.

"Alfred let me in." Artemis said with a shrug as she leaned against the door frame. "He said you were working from home today and that you wouldn't mind the distraction. Looks like he was right, huh?"

"Well Dick, I'd better get going." Kori said with a nervous laugh as she finished straightening out her dress.

"Hold on a sec Kori." Artemis said with a smirk as she walked over to her and tousled her hair, rearranging it so part of it draped in front of her neck.

"What are you doing?" Kori asked slowly.

"Saving you from the embarrassment of leaving this mansion with bright red hickeys decorating your pretty neck."

Kori's face darkened even more as Artemis continued to smirk at her. "Um...thanks. Dick, I'll call you as soon as my flight lands in Paris."

"Right." he said as Kori hurried out of the room.

Once she was out of earshot, Artemis burst into a fit of howling laughter while Dick rolled his eyes. He moved to collect the items from his desk that were littering the floor while Artemis held her sides and continued to laugh.

"I'm glad to see that you find this situation so amusing. You haven't changed a bit Arty. You are still _quite_ the smart ass."

Artemis shrugged as her laughter died and left a smile in its wake. "Hate to disappoint you, but I am who I am."

"That's okay." he said with a smile as he grabbed his aviators and slid them back onto his face. "I wouldn't want you to change anyway. You're perfect just the way you are."

Artemis smiled softly as she thought about how things were just like they used to be. She and Dick spent a lot of time together back when they were younger and she wasn't with Lawrence. Dick would do anything he could to cheer her up and make her smile, and she would joke around like a smart-ass every now and again to lighten the mood. Her thoughts turned towards whispered phone conversations they would have when she would hide from Lawrence in the bathroom. The nights when they would go rollerblading after curfew when he sneaked up her fire escape. Their trip to the carnival in the eight grade that Bruce had taken them to. Artemis got sick after riding the tilt-o-whirl and Dick held her hair back as she puked into a trashcan. Later, the two of them made jokes about when they would get to Gotham University and find themselves in the same predicament, only a bottle of Hennessy would be the cause of their sorrow. Then there were the mornings when Dick had Alfred drive him to the rougher side of Gotham just so he could ride the city bus to school with Artemis. She had gotten mugged their freshman year and had all of the money in her wallet and track phone stolen. Dick wanted nothing more than to be there just in case something happened again and she needed backup. One of her favorite memories was when he hugged her during her wedding reception after all the guests had cleared out of the reception hall and onto the front sidewalk to see her and Wally off to Cancun. He had told her how proud he was of her for overcoming her fears and that he would always be there for her no matter what.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Dick asked with worry as he approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Artemis hadn't realized that in the midst of all her reminiscing, her smile had fallen and her eyes had begun to leak tears. Her bottom lip was quivering as it struggled to hold back the sob that was climbing up her throat. She locked eyes with Dick as he removed his aviators, showing off his blue eyes that were filled with sadness.

"How could you?" she spoke, her voice just barely above a whisper.

Dick broke their gaze and looked over towards the open-faced window on the opposite wall. "Are you referring to the fight we had?"

"I came over here to _help_ you." Artemis started as rage began to build in her chest and overpowered her sadness. "I wanted to talk to you and try to gain an understanding of what happened with you and Zee. She was a complete train wreck when I found her on my doorstep that night and I knew that you probably weren't in better shape. I came here to talk to you and help you through things and what happened? You slammed the door in my face and refuse to speak to me! That's not you Dick. It has _never_ been you. Shutting people out is more my style, not yours. I refuse to accept help from others, you don't; or did you just happen to forget how to be Dick Grayson, my dorky and lovable best friend?"

Dick's face fell as tears continued to fall from her eyes. "Artemis, I pushed you away because I didn't want you to see my pain. I'm usually the one who's strong and holds it together when things get tough. I was angry not just with Zatanna, but with myself; and after I said all of those horrible things to you and shut you out, I felt I'd lost the right to come to you and the others with anything. I handled the breakup poorly; but I eventually healed. Only then did I realize just how much damage I had done; and I thought that after my outburst, you guys would favor Zatanna over me."

"How could you even think that?" Artemis demanded to know as she stomped her foot. "You are my _best friend_ Dick. I was friends with you long before Zatanna even came into the picture. Hell, I was friends with you before I met and fell in love with Wally; and even after all the bullshit you put me through, I am _still_ your friend. Can't you see that? Out of all the people you could have pushed away, I thought I was the _last_ person who would ever get the cold shoulder from you. Do you have any idea how much that hurt and how much I've missed you you stupid idiot?"

Dick pulled Artemis into his arms and held her close as he rested his head on top of hers. His own eyes began to burn from approaching tears as he also thought over how much he had missed the time he spent with her. She was the only person when he was growing up who liked him for who he was as a person and not for the family fortune he was adopted into. She never pretended to be his friend just to get closer to Bruce Wayne's inheritance. She never lied to him and left him heartbroken like so many other "friends" that had graced him with their presence. She didn't sugar-coat things just to win his approval. She was raw and she was real unlike any other person he had met.

"Stupid." he sighed, the air that blew through his nose moving a few strands of her hair.

"What did you just call me?" she said in disbelief as she lifted her head and shot him a glare.

"Not you Arty." he said with a laugh, earning a satisfactory smile instead of more tears. "I'm the one who's stupid. I should have never pushed you away like I did. I've missed you so much. More than you will ever know."

Artemis's smile seemed to grow as he spoke to her and she shoved him playfully before wiping away the tears that were staining her cheeks. The two of them moved over to the sitting area in front of the long wall of book cases. Dick plopped down on one of the three black leather love seats and Artemis sat next to him before propping her feet up in his laugh.

"You're wearing the Golden Goose sneakers I bought you last Christmas." Dick said as he played with the shoelaces, twisting them around his fingers. "They look pretty worn out. You should really take better care of five-hundred dollar pairs of shoes."

Artemis smiled as she began to move her feet around playfully. "What can I say? They're my faves. I love them a lot better than my old Nikes, and that's saying a lot. I wore those Nikes until the soles were nearly disintegrated. I could literally feel the ground scraping against my toes when I would go jogging."

"I guess I'll have to get you an even better pair for Christmas then." he said as they started laughing.

The laughter died quickly and the two friends fell into a comfortable silence as they listened to Alfred vacuuming out in the hallway. Artemis sighed, breaking the silence, and Dick looked in her direction. She was biting her bottom lip as she wracked her brain for a way to approach the very sensitive topic of Dick and Zatanna's horrible breakup.

"What's wrong?" he asked sensing the tension radiating off of her.

"Dick, I know it's been nearly a year and old wounds could very well still be hurting...but since you refused to talk to me about it back then...I want to talk about it now. What exactly happened with you and Zee?"

Dick's eyes narrowed as he turned his attention towards the bookcase that held nothing but encyclopedias, dictionaries, and world maps. "She didn't tell you?"

Artemis shook her head as her hair brushed against the couch's leather surface. "I've tried so many times to get her to open up about it and talk to me, but she always brushes the topic off. She always says that there's a barrier between the two of you that prevented you from being close in the way she wanted. She feels your relationship was all a lie and that you never loved her as much as she loved you."

"That is not true." Dick scoffed before turning to look at her, a melancholic look on his face. "I...I did love her, but if that's how she feels, I guess there's no changing it. Look, the reason we broke up isn't important. I guess we just weren't right for each other; and in the end, she chose to let me go rather than to hold onto me and continue hurting herself."

Artemis's expression softened as he spoke. She knew his words were partially true, but she also knew there was so much more to the story than what he was letting on. They never lied to each other under any circumstance; and although he wasn't lying now, he wasn't being completely truthful. Zatanna had loved Dick with every fiber of her being and there wasn't a doubt in anyone's mind that he loved her just as much; and if not, even more. They were happy and in love, so it made no sense to their friends when their love came to an abrupt and disastrous end.

When you love someone, you fight for them no matter what. That's what Artemis believed and stood by her entire life. You don't just let that special someone walk out of your life without even making an attempt to rescue them and pull them back in. After all, that's what Wally had done for her. He had gone to Canton to save her from her father and Dave when they had her strapped against that column in her childhood home. In spite of the fact that he'd run off after learning that she was abused and that she was the Archer, he still loved her enough that he came back and fought for her; but the situation between Dick and Zatanna was handled so much differently. Zatanna had walked away from Dick without even looking back. Her actions would have been understandable if she no longer had feelings for the billionaire with jet black hair; but it was more than obvious that she was still madly in love with him. Otherwise, she wouldn't have reacted so badly to seeing him and his latest arm candy on the television at the mall.

Artemis sighed as she pushed her doubts about Dick's being truthful to the back of her mind. She was finally reconciling with him after all this time, and there was no need to ruin the moment when things were going so well.

"Okay then." she finally said with a sigh. "If you don't want to tell me everything, that's fine. I can't exactly force you to tell me anything about a situation that has nothing to do with me."

"Thanks Artemis. Anyways, I haven't been in touch with you or the others since the fight; and with my role in Wayne Industries becoming so prominent, it might be hard for me to meet up with everyone as much as I used to."

"Yeah Mr. Big Shot. I saw you at the gala event on television with your new arm candy. Does she taste as sweet as she looks?"

Dick's face reddened for what seemed like the millionth time that day, much to Artemis's delight. She threw her head back as she began to howl with laughter. Dick shoved her playfully before clearing his throat.

"She's great. We get along really well, you know? We like the same movies, the same foods, and even the same sports teams. I don't think I've been with anyone that's so compatible with me."

"Well I'm glad that you two are getting along so well. She seems to be crazy about you; and if what the reporters said about you being in a funk after you and Zatanna split is true, then I'm happy that you've found someone who's helping you find your way back to being happy again."

Dick smiled. "Thanks. So what have the others been up to? I miss them."

"Kaldur's off in California finishing up his marine biology degree. I Skype him a few times a week to keep in touch. He really likes being back over there so he can surf and enjoy the beaches again. He misses us of course, but he really missed the sunshine and clear blue skies that you can't find in the city. Megan and Conner are still in Happy Harbor. Megan's got plans to open up a bakery in the suburbs and Conner is working at the construction depot. He's supposed to be helping Megan with the architectural design of her new business. Then...there's Jade and Roy."

"I heard about him losing his job." Dick said. "I can't believe the factory laid so many workers off. When I saw his name on the unemployment list, I knew things were gonna be rough for him and your sister."

Artemis nodded, her mood darkening as she thought about the other night when she'd found him passed out in the living room of his and Jade's home. "He's a disaster Dick. He's an unemployed drunkard who spends most of his time on the couch not giving a damn about anyone but himself. Jade is pregnant again with their fourth kid and she's working two jobs to take care of their family. The least he could do is be a man and take the initiative to try and get a job or do something to help her raise their family; but no. He just sits there and does nothing. The two of them fight constantly and I'm scared that their marriage isn't strong enough to make it through this."

"I'm sorry to hear that Artemis. I hope things work out for them. Anyway, what about you and Wally? I hope you two are doing okay."

Artemis's smile returned as she removed her feet from his lap and rested her hands on her thighs. "People keep telling me that he and I are stuck in a honeymoon phase and that it won't last forever; but if that's true, why is our relationship just as wonderful and as strong as it was since the day I woke up to find him in my hospital room all those years ago? I love him so much Dick, and I wouldn't trade him for anything or anyone else in this world."

The conversation came to an abrupt halt as the door opened without a knock. Dick and Artemis could hear the wooden door's hinges creek and looked up just as Bruce was stepping into the room with an armful of documents and a smirk on his usually stoic face.

"I thought I saw your car out front." his deep voice vibrated through the air. "It's good to see you Artemis. It's been a while."

"It has been." she smiled at the man who was like a second father to her, right after Oliver Queen. "How are you Bruce?"

He shrugged as he shifted the documents in his arms. "I can't complain. Listen, I know you two have a lot of catching up to do, but I really need to have these files reviewed and sent off to the board by tomorrow morning. I've checked seventy-five percent of this month's quarterlies and I also went over our latest propositions. So I think it's safe to say that you can handle this. I have...a meeting out of town that's scheduled for this evening, and I'm not sure when I'll be back."

Dick nodded before moving Artemis's feet out of his lap and standing up to take the folders out of Bruce's arms. "I'll get right on it."

Bruce nodded at Artemis once before taking his leave. Dick then moved over to his desk as he flipped through the folders to keep count of all the reviewing he was gonna have to do.

"I guess I'd better be going then." Artemis said as she stood up and stretched her arms above her head. "I have to go over a few files myself. I have three neglect cases, a child endangerment case, and eight runaway cases to review by tomorrow. The job of a social worker is never done; but I wouldn't trade it for the world."

"Right." Dick said as he set the files down on his desk and walked back over to her to pull her into a hug. She returned the hug graciously and sighed, enjoying the feeling of being able to hug him again after being apart for so long.

"Don't be a stranger, okay?" she said as she pulled away from him. He nodded once before watching her turn and leave the study.

"Yeah...a stranger." he said as the door slowly closed.

* * *

 **A/N:** **And there we have it folks. Dick and Artemis are finally reunited! Yet still, we have yet to figure out the real reason behind Zatanna and Dick's split. When will that little detail be revealed? Not for some time hehehehe**

 **Review!**

 **-KairiAngel13**


	5. The Case

**A/N:** **Hey guys; midterms are finally over at my university, so I can update once more. Sorry for the break; but thanks to those of you who left reviews for the previous two chapters. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous when I didn't receive any email notifications for the chapters for nearly two weeks- thought I'd lost some readers or something; but those who were faithful for the first two left their two cents and I was pleased to hear your feedback. Now, next chapter coming right up!**

 **The introduction for this story is over, so now it's time for the plot to truly begin to unfold. Which means longer chapters and introduction of the other** _ **Young Justice**_ **characters into this crazy plot. Let's go!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own the** _ **Young Justice**_ **or the** _ **Young Justice: Invasion**_ **series. Both series were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti and were written by a team of writers consisting of Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Andrew Robinson, Nicole Dubuc, Jon Weisman, Tom Pugsley, and Peter David. I do however own the entire plot of this story and all of the original characters featured in this story. This is simply because I created them from scratch and have turned them into characters and a plot that you will grow to love. With that being said, DO NOT REPRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAYS, SHAPE, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I CREATED THIS STORY, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS BELONG TO ME. Please read, memorize, and abide by this disclaimer.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **KairiAngel13**

* * *

 _ **"The Case"**_

Artemis stirred her spoon around slowly in her glass of coffee, mixing in creamer and sugar to sweeten its taste. The spoon tapped loudly against the inside of her mug as she stared down into the dark liquid that was beginning to melt into a creamy brown. When she finished, she tapped the spoon against the lip of the mug before looking across the diner booth towards Wally who was watching her in interest. The redhead leaned back in the booth of their favorite diner, picking up is own coffee mug in the process to take a sip.

"Something on your mind?" she asked with a smirk, interested in what had her husband so quiet. "You've barely said anything all morning. Hell, you haven't even touched your food. Are you sick or something?"

Wally chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Nah, I'm not sick babe. I just have a lot on my mind is all."

Artemis slowly lifted her cup to her lips and took a slow sip, her eyes never leaving Wally's. To anyone who happened to pass by, Wally would seem to be perfectly fine; but Artemis was his wife and had been the love of his life for seven years. She knew him better than anyone ever had or ever would, and she knew that he was nervous. She could see how tightly his hands were gripping onto his coffee cup and how worry was pooled in his eyes. He had been holding back something all day, and Artemis had seen the various time he'd parted his lips to speak his mind. However, the words kept stopping mid-production in his throat, refusing to make the rest of the journey down the assembly line.

Artemis set her mug down before reaching across the table and placing her hand on his wrist, forcing him to set his mug down.

"Spill it Baywatch. What's got you so nervous?"

Wally sighed before grasping her hands within his own. Artemis could feel her heart beating hard against her chest, her stomach fluttering nervously in anticipation. Could whatever was wrong be bothering him _that_ bad?

"I finally have the 'okay' to get my book published." he said, a smile spreading across his lips.

Artemis's mouth fell open at the news, her lips moving to form words but none actually coming out. Finally, she inhaled sharply before letting out a tiny squeal to avoid attracting to much attention to their booth.

"Are you serious?" she exclaimed as Wally nodded in response. "Babe, that's _wonderful_! You've been trying to get your novel punished for months. Looks like things are finally starting to look up, huh?"

Artemis's smile suddenly fell when she noticed that Wally's had left his face. She released his hands and folded her arms across her chest, watching as he averted his gaze to the tabletop. There was more to the story than what he was letting on and the little voice in the back of her head was groaning in disapproval.

"There's something else." she stated simply. "Something that I'm not going to like."

Wally took a deep breath before lifting his head, emerald green eyes meeting a pair of stormy gray ones. "My editor and I took the book to a new publisher- Seth Biggs. At first, he wasn't sure if he wanted to publish the novel. Something about it missing something _real_ and concrete that would make it more realistic. I mean, my novel is a crime novel that focuses on murder and injustice. I have completely rounded out characters, clear plot points, and a concrete conflict and resolution. I mean, my editor and I have polished over the draft at least forty times over the past few months."

"So what made him change his mind?"

"Mr. Biggs's assistant knew who I was and after the receptionist let us into the building, he went off to speak to her privately. When he came back, he said he'd learned some interesting information about my personal life that he felt would add that extra spice that my story needed. He then brought up the fact that I was married to you."

Artemis raised an eyebrow at the mentioning of that little detail. "What does us being married have to do with your novel?"

"Mr. Bigg's secretary is...Linda Park."

"Wait a minute, Linda? Linda as in stuck up, former cheerleader, hates the fact that you left her for me... _T_ _hat_ Linda?"

"Yes, that Linda." Wally said as he scratched his head once more. "She told him that we were married and he recognized your name from your dad's trial. He then made the suggestion that I use part of...your life story in my book."

Artemis's eyes narrowed. "So what you're telling me is that the only way your book can be published is if you divulge intimate details about mine and Jade's case with Lawrence."

Wally nodded slowly as he studied his wife's face. It was a mixture of uncertainty and anger, her eyes narrowed dangerously low. Her lips were struggling between the urge to snarl or stay in a thin line, her fingers gripping onto her shoulders so tight that they were turning white. Slowly, the thunderous clouds rolled away as Artemis took a deep breath to calm herself. She then looked up to meet his gaze.

"If I agree to let you do this...you have to allow me to read over whatever details you decide to include in the book. What Lawrence did to me and Jade is all in the past and we have been doing our best to get over the shame and humiliation of it. I don't want to be put on display again for the whole world to see."

"And you know that I would never do that to you babe." he said quickly as he stood from his seat and moved to sit beside her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she looked up to meet his gaze with a sad, yet proud look on her face.

"I know you wouldn't." she said with a smile before leaning forward and kissing him softly, resting her head against his shoulder when she finished. "Suddenly, I don't really feel much like eating. I'm gonna head into the office early and get a jump start on today's cases."

"Are you _sure_ that you're okay with this?" Wally asked as he bit his bottom lip.

Artemis lifted her head from his shoulder and kissed him again. "I'm sure. If I was meant to play a vital part in your dream coming true, then I'm glad to help."

"Babe...you rock."

* * *

Artemis's car pulled up outside of St. Anne's Foster Home, one of Gotham's largest foster home agencies. She cut the engine off and grabbed her favorite leather brown briefcase before stepping out of the car and heading towards the stone steps. She admired the freshly trimmed hedges boxed around the building that hid rows of beautiful flowers behind them as she walked through the door. In spite of the brick building looking rather plain itself, the landscaping had been done rather nicely, making the foster home a much more beautiful and pleasurable place to visit.

"Ah, Mrs. West." The receptionist spoke as she spotted her coming in. The receptionist, Jeannie, had become well acquainted with Artemis during her first work as a social worker and they would occasionally meet up for coffee or lunch breaks several times throughout the month. Jeannie was a very thin woman with high cheek bones, pale skin, and super thin red hair. She had a pointed nose that her reading glasses were currently sitting on top of, and her hair was in a messy bun, some stray strands hanging over her cheeks. She wasn't a drop-dead beauty, but she was very sweet and Artemis enjoyed her company from time to time.

"Good morning Jeannie." Artemis said with a smile. "I'm supposed to be monitoring a visit today."

Artemis reached into her briefcase and pulled a manila folder out the top before handing it to Jeannie. Jeannie opened the folder and read over the information presented, her eyes narrowing the further down the page she read. She sighed before removing her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Is something wrong?" Artemis questioned her.

Jeannie gave Artemis a look of hesitation before closing the folder and handing it back to her. "I take it this is your first time dealing with Miss Larson's case?"

"Well, yeah. My supervisor said there was a new case that needed handling and thought I would be the perfect candidate for the job. Why, is there something wrong with the fact that I am now her case supervisor?"

Jeannie looked around the room cautiously before standing from her desk and placing her "out to lunch" sign up. She then motioned for Artemis to follow her towards the elevators. The rode up to the third floor in silence, Artemis wondering what had her so tense about the case. When they stepped off, they were standing at the end of a long hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. The sound of children playing, their little screams and yells muffled by closed doors could be heard. There was also music playing in several of the closed rooms and the sound of things occasionally falling over and doors being slammed could be heard. Jeannie began walking again and Artemis followed after her as they passed doors with one-way windows beside them. The layout sort of reminded Artemis of some sort of asylum. There were children and teenagers in the rooms that they passed as they played or sat upon one of the two twin-sized beds provided in each of the rooms. Some of them were sleeping, some of them arguing, and a few of them were doing something artistic like painting or coloring in jumbo sized coloring books.

"Paige is a very troubled girl." Jeannie spoke suddenly for the first time since they'd left the front desk. "She's been within our foster care system for almost a year now. DCFS brought her to us after she was taken away from her mother."

Jeannie slowed to a stop outside of one of the many rooms in the hallway and motioned for Artemis to look inside the room. There was a teenage girl sitting on one of the beds in the room, her knees pulled up to her chest as she stared blankly at the wall in front of her. She was of a mixed race, possibly half Hispanic and half Caucasian. She had long brown hair, naturally curly, that was pulled back in a tight ponytail. Her face had a little roundness to it, almost like she hadn't completely lost her baby face, but she was beautiful and looked rather mature for her age.

"That's Paige."

"Doesn't she have a roommate?"

Jeannie shook her head as Artemis turned her attention away from the moment and back to her skinny companion. "Remember what I said about Paige being a troubled child? It's one of the reasons we've opted to give her a private room to have to herself. She throws...tantrums. She has issues handling her anger and she likes to be left alone most days. We've had her room with a few of the other teens within our care throughout the year, but there always ends up being some sort of altercation. Once, things got pretty physical and the security guards and myself had to intervene."

Artemis nodded as she let the information sink in. None of Paige's behavioral issues had been listed in her file, nor had any of Artemis's colleagues mentioned the girl's issues when she asked them about taking on their former case. Artemis stepped closer to the window to get a better look at the young girl. Even though her hair was in a ponytail, it appeared to be very long, pretty close to Artemis's length. She was wearing ripped jeans with mismatched socks- one yellow and one blue. She also wore a plain white t-shirt; but what caught Artemis's attention the most was the sight of definitive marks on her wrists.

"The case file was pretty vague about why Paige was separated from her home." Artemis spoke, her eyes never leaving the girl. "Do you happen to know what happened?"

"A neighbor in the apartment building phoned the police reporting a domestic dispute. When the police arrived, Paige's mother had her in a choke hold on the floor while her youngest two children screamed for her to let Paige go. The mother is a heavy drinker and from reports we've managed to gather, she and Paige have a very troubled relationship. When the officers brought her here, Paige was in hysterics demanding that they take her back home. The whole situation was rather appalling. I mean...why would she want to go back home to her abuser?"

Artemis's thoughts turned back to her five a.m. archery training sessions on the roof of her old apartment building with Lawrence. Memories of his fist connecting with the side of her face over missing a target flashed her mind. She then recalled the day he held her over the ledge of the building, having found out about her nightly excursion to the school dance, in which he sliced off a large amount of her beautiful hair and let it fall onto the fire escape below.

"I'm supposed to be taking Paige to meet with her mother today." she said as she watched Paige move to lay sideways on the bed, her feet dangling over the edge. Her thoughts suddenly turned back to a time when she was fifteen lying on her bed back in that small, dark apartment. A time when she used to stare up at the ceiling wondering when her day of freedom would come too.

* * *

Wally sat at his desk in the office of his and Artemis's home as he crumpled up what felt like the one-hundredth piece of notebook paper that afternoon. Since he'd gotten home from the diner, he had been trying to decide what details of Artemis's life he actually wanted to include in his novel; but every time he felt like he was breaking ground with a good idea, guilt would creep inside his heart and begin to gnaw at his conscience. He groaned before leaning back in his chair and rubbing his tired eyes.

The doorbell rang suddenly, and he sighed in relief of the idea of taking a break. He stood from his swivel chair, the seat spinning a few times due to the absence of his weight. He then stretched his arms above his head to relieve his back muscles of their built up tension before heading down the stairs to the door. His eyes widened in surprise when he opened the door to find Dick Grayson standing on his doorstep, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his black trench coat.

"Dick..." he said as he blinked a few times.

"Hey there Wally." Dick said as he scratched the back of his head. "I know, I probably should have called first...but I saw your car in the driveway and thought I should stop by. I've been wanting to see you since Artemis and I made up a few days ago. I was sort of hoping that we could do the same."

Wally's surprise wore off as an awkward tension grew between the two of them. Dick began to nervously move back and forth on his feet as he debated on whether or not to head back to his town car and leave for Wayne Enterprise's afternoon luncheon, but Wally stepped to the side and motioned for him to come inside. Dick nodded in thanks before stepping into the front hall and heading into the living room. Wally joined him a few minutes later, the front door slamming loudly in the hallway behind him as he made his way over to the love seat.

"Wow." Dick said as he looked around the room. "This place hasn't changed one bit. I've missed it."

Dick spared a glance at Wally who was staring at him impatiently, his arms crossed as his fingers drummed against them. The billionaire cleared his throat before turning his attention to the fireplace where several photographs of Artemis and Wally lined the mantle.

"You were right." Dick spoke softly as he watched Wally carefully out the corner of his eye. "When you came to confront me after Artemis and I had that fight last year...I shouldn't have treated her like that. I shouldn't have treated any of you like that. I just thought...that after the way I behaved and handled the breakup, none of you would forgive me for being so childish. Wally, I want things to go back to the way they were. I don't need first class trips across the world. I don't need fancy galas, parties, and celebrity-hosted events. I need to be able to spend time with you and the others. My friends. My _real_ friends."

Wally sighed before leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees. "Dick...Artemis and you are best friends. Hell, the two of you were friends long before you were even friends with me and the others. It's not like we were angry with you because you and Zatanna broke up. It's more like...we were mad over the way that you treated her in the end. You never lost us as friends Dick. You just chose to stay away, so I guess we stayed away as an ending result. However, the fact that you lashed out at Artemis was just...wrong. That is probably where I hold the most anger. It's because you hurt her just as badly as you hurt Zatanna. Do you have any idea what it's like to see the woman you love more than anything in the entire world so torn up and broken inside and you can't do anything to make her feel better? I'm her _husband_ , and even I couldn't do anything to help her. I don't like feeling helpless Dick, and you made me that way. As much as I hate to admit it...the two of you have a relationship that I will never be able to touch; and when Artemis is in an emotional rut like that, you're the only one who can fix it. If it wasn't for Jade and me doing everything we could think of to lift her spirits, I doubt she would have forgiven you the other day. I don't think she would ever be able to get over what you did to her."

"I know Wally, and I feel horrible...but we managed to work things out that I truly can see us being friends again. I mean, having her over at the mansion again brought back so many memories. It was just like old times- me and her lounging around in the library talking for what feels like forever about nothing. Just enjoying each other's company and the simple things in life. I missed her...just as I have missed you Wall-man."

Wally couldn't help but to smile at the confession. "Well, I guess I can forgive you. I mean, who else am I supposed to nerd out over comic books with?"

"No one." Dick said as his laughter filled the room, melting away the tension that had been sitting around them. "Look, I've missed hanging out with you and Artemis. I was wondering if the two of you would like to have dinner with me at the manor tomorrow? I'd really like for you to meet Kori."

"Really?" Wally asked, surprised by the generous and unexpected offer.

"Yeah. It's nothing too fancy. Just one of Alfred's home cooked meals. I just want to spend some time with my best friends again, and Kori's been dying to meet you."

"I don't see why not then." Wally said with a shrug. "In fact, it sounds great. I'll talk to Artemis about it when she gets home."

"Great. Well, I'd better get over to the office. Maybe the luncheon will be over by the time I get there. I hate all of the interviews that usually follow them."

Wally nodded as he stood from his seat and walked over to his friend to shake his hand firmly.

"Welcome back Dick."

"It's good to be back Wall-man."

* * *

Artemis spared a glance at Paige as they rode across Gotham in silence. Paige hadn't uttered a single word since Artemis made her presence known in her room back at St. Anne's. Then again, Artemis hadn't bothered speaking to her either. She cleared her throat, deciding to thin the ice a little as she watched Paige acknowledge her out the corner of her eye.

"I believe this is the block." she said. "Would you mind pointing out which house is yours?"

"Last house on the right." Paige spoke, her voice hard and cold. Artemis nodded before easing her foot onto the brakes and signaling over into an available parking space. The street was lined with brownstone apartment buildings, the only indicator that they were different being their different colored doors. Artemis cut the engine off and made sure to grab her briefcase out the backseat before getting out to join Paige on the sidewalk.

"When was the last time you visited your mother?" Artemis asked. Paige simply shrugged, not bothering to give Artemis a verbal answer. Artemis sighed. "This visit will unfortunately only be fifteen minutes long; but if things go well, we can slowly start adding ten minutes to each visit. Sound good?"

When Paige still refused to respond, Artemis brushed it off before walking up the front steps to ring the doorbell beside the purple painted door. The sound of something falling over inside could be heard followed by the sound of someone shouting. Artemis couldn't quite make out what was being said on the other side of the door; but judging by the tone of the screamer's voice, it wasn't good.

The door swung open a few minutes later and a Hispanic woman who looked as though she was in her early forties was standing there. She had long brown, curly hair just like Paige's and her face appeared to be very tired and worn out. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the woman had been drinking. In spite of the fact that she was dressed presentably for the visit, the strong scent of tequila was emanating off her.

"Ms. Larson I presume?" Artemis said as she put on her best smile. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Artemis West, the new caseworker for you and your daughter's case."

"Yeah, yeah, come in." the woman spoke, her voice raspy as though she had woken up not even thirty minutes ago. Artemis spared a glance at Paige whose cold demeanor had melted into one of nervousness as she stared down at her feet. Artemis gave her a questioning look as the girl walked past her and led her into the house. Artemis followed after her as they passed walls lined with pictures, none of them being of Paige, as they made their way into the living room. Two younger children with jet black hair, one boy and one girl, were sitting on the couch still wearing their footie pajamas. When they spotted Paige walking into the room, their faces lit up.

"Paige!" the little boy exclaimed as he jumped off the couch and ran over to her. A smile broke across Paige's face as she crouched down to hug the boy. The little girl slid off the couch to join them, a soft smile on her face as she held them tight. The sight warmed Artemis's heart, especially because Paige was finally wearing a smile for the first time since they'd met.

"Lindsay, Lucas, I've missed you so much." Paige said, her voice strained as she did her best not to cry.

"Go into the other room you two." Ms. Larson's voice came from the doorway. The young ones looked at Paige sadly before running into another room of the house to play quietly. Ms. Larson then walked into the room and collapsed in the living chair as she glared out the nearby window that overlooked the street just outside the front of the house. Artemis and Paige took a seat on the love seat as Artemis pulled a clipboard and pen from her briefcase.

"Okay Ms. Larson. There are a few questions I need to ask to familiarize myself with your case before we begin today's evaluation."

The woman scoffed earning a raised eyebrow from the blonde, but Artemis cleared her throat to continue.

"It is listed in the previous caseworker's notes that you were unemployed two months ago and have been since Paige was initially removed from your custody. You were advised to find a steady job to provide for your two remaining children and you were also advised to attend mandatory parenting classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. Have you gotten started on either of these tasks?"

Ms. Larson shot Artemis a glare. "I had a job at the diner until a few weeks ago when they fired me. I don't have a car. Couldn't make it in for one of my shifts and they canned me. No car, means no transportation. So that crosses parenting classes off my list too. Next question."

Artemis raised an eyebrow at the woman's snarky behavior. "You do realize that there are cab services in town. You could easily purchase a bus pass and make it to both a job and parenting classes."

"I am not riding the bus. There are too many weirdos that ride; and don't get me started on those damn cab companies who charge you a quarter for every mile they drive. I'm not paying twenty bucks to get to work and twenty bucks to get back every day. What, do you think I'm made of money?"

"Okay then...next task on the list. After a home inspection by your previous caseworker, it was recommended that you buy child safety locks for the cabinets in your home, and your were advised to purchase or rent new beds for your children's bedrooms. Have you done that yet?"

"I have a better idea of something we could do. How about we move past these unimportant questions so you can leave my home."

Artemis set her clipboard down and folded her hands gently in her lap. "With all due respect Ms. Larson, it would seem to me that you haven't made any changes since the last social worker came to visit. It seems you have no interest in solving any of your problems that would help you regain custody of Paige."

Ms. Larson stood from her seat and glared at Artemis, making the blonde rather uncomfortable. "Listen here bitch, I don't know what you were told, but this case is not something I want to be pursued. I didn't ask for anyone to try and fix my life just so that nightmare child could be allowed back in my house."

"Excuse me?" Artemis said, confusion running through her mind.

"This case that you're dealing with is a case that _she_ is pursuing, not me. I do not want her back in this house. I am doing just fine with Lindsay and Lucas. I don't need her here."

"But this is my home!" Paige shouted suddenly, surprising Artemis. The teen stood from her seat and shot a glare back at her mother. "I don't want to be in foster care anymore. I want to be here with you and the twins because I love you guys and I want to come home. Why is that so hard for you to understand? I want to come home mom!"

"This isn't your home Paige." The woman hollered back at her. "It has _never_ been your home. All you've ever been is a burden that I was forced to carry for fourteen years and I'm at my breaking point. I have had enough!"

"That's enough." Artemis snapped as she stood up quickly to stand between the two of them. "Yelling at each other won't solve a thing."

"Neither is your being here." Ms. Larson bit back. "I don't know why you people continue to bring her back here. You think that bringing in a new social worker will work and make me change my mind, but it won't. That girl is nothing but trouble and I don't want her back in this house. Get out both of you. Get out now!"

"Mom please." Paige begged as tears filled her eyes.

"I said get _out_!" Ms. Larson snapped, her voice slurring from her drunken state.

Artemis turned to Paige whose tears had spilled over, her bottom lip quivering in utter despair. "Come on Paige, let's go."

"No." Paige shouted, her voice sounding desperate. "I'm not going back to St. Anne's. _This_ is my home! I should be able to stay here with my mom. Please, please, please don't let me go back!"

"Get out." Ms. Larson warned as her body began to sway.

"Mommy, please." Paige begged as she stepped around Artemis and reached a hand out towards her mother; but to Artemis's horror, the woman shoved her daughter to the floor roughly.

"That's enough!" Artemis shouted as she moved to shield Paige from her mother. "You can't just put your hands on her and treat her in whatever way you want. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Get out of my house!" Ms. Larson roared as she pointed towards the front door.

Artemis helped Paige onto her feet slowly before glaring at the older woman. "You will be receiving a phone call from the DCFS office about your behavior. You have two other children living in this house and quite frankly, I don't believe it's best that they stay with you until you can learn some self restraint and get your behavior under control."

"You are not taking my kids away from me!"

Artemis ignored the woman as she wrapped an arm around a crying Paige's shoulders and led her out of the living room. Lindsay and Lucas watched sadly as their sister was escorted out of their home with the blonde stranger. Ms. Larson continued to shout profanities, knocking things over as she followed after Artemis, demanding she leave her family alone. Artemis ignored her as she helped Paige into the car before starting the engine and taking off.

* * *

"Things couldn't possibly have gone any worse." Artemis groaned into her phone as she watched Paige sitting alone at the table she'd gotten them at a local Steak 'N Shake.

 _"Artemis, you can't expect every client to go along with what social services wants them to do."_ Wally's voice floated through her ear.

"Yeah, I know. It's just that you should've seen this woman babe. She was absolutely disgusted by the mere sight of Paige. She refused to even acknowledge Paige as her daughter and she wanted her out of her sight more and more with every second that passed. Look, I shouldn't even be talking to you about this. I could get into serious trouble; but I just can't help but to dump all this on you. It really bothered me you know, with the way that Ms. Larson shoved her."

 _"I can only imagine. Did you contact your boss about the visit?"_

"Yeah, I did. Ms. Larson was taken into custody for child endangerment. The other kids were sent to stay with their grandmother. I guess Paige is only their half-sister, which would explain why Paige was sent into foster care instead of being sent to live with another relative. Records show that Ms. Larson has been married twice."

 _"So what happened to Paige's father's side of the family then? Couldn't your department send her to stay with another family member just like her other two kids?"_

"That's just it. Ms. Larson informed the police when Paige was first taken into custody that her father was killed years ago in a drug related incident and he had no one in his life. I guess he was a runaway and cut off all ties with his family. So unless Paige agrees to undergo D.N.A. testing to find any traces of a biological family member, she's stuck in the system until someone agrees to take her in. It really breaks my heart Wally. She has no one to turn to and all she wants is to be accepted by her mother. Her mom can't bear to be around her though and I don't know what to do."

 _"You'll figure it out babe. Try not to worry too much about it. Just finish up your other cases for the day and come on home. I'm making tomato soup and grilled cheese tonight."_

"Sounds great babe, but I'm not really thinking about food right now."

 _"I understand. Look, I've got to get back to working on my book. Just finish up what you can and come home okay. I love you...so much."_

"I love you too Wally." she said with a smile before hanging up and heading back to the table. Paige was finishing off the rest of her chili cheese fries on her plate, her burger having been gone since Artemis first left to speak to Wally.

"I take it you liked the food?" Artemis asked with a smile.

Paige looked up at her for a moment before looking down at her plate stained with chili sauce. "It was good. Thanks."

Artemis nodded before taking a seat across from the girl and pulling a new file folder out of her briefcase. A little boy had been placed with his grandmother temporarily after his mother's drug habits nearly got him killed. The mother had been six months clean and had been visiting him regularly, proving to Artemis and her mother that she was really trying to get her life together for the sake of her little boy. Artemis smiled as she looked at the two-year-old's picture before reaching to grab a pen. When she looked up, Paige had pulled the folder over to look at it. Artemis pulled it back quickly, shooting her a warning look.

"Sorry." Paige said as she hung her head. "I just saw the baby in the picture and wanted to get a better look…He's one of your pity cases too, huh?"

"He's not a pity case." Artemis replied. "And neither are you for that matter. I do this job because I want to help kids who have been wrongfully done in their lives by their parents. I like to help kids out of bad situations and bring them new ones."

"Well, you're wasting your time with me." Paige said as she stared off into space at nothing in particular. "You can just pass my folder along to someone else in your office just so they can run away with their tails in between their legs too."

"About what happened back at the house." Artemis said as she slowly started to bring the subject up. "Your mom mentioned that this case is _your_ case. That you're the one who's wanting to go back home in spite of your mom feeling indifferent about the situation."

Paige sighed as she stared down at the tabletop, her eyes blurring with tears. "I hate that foster home. I don't like the other kids. I just…I want to go home and be with my mom, and my brother and sister. I'm trapped in that nuthouse and I can't take it."

"It's only temporary hon."

"Temporary?" Paige said with a sarcastic laugh. "Who are you trying to kid lady? I've been stuck in that place for almost a year now and everyone thinks I'm some sort of lunatic with a mother who could potentially be some kind of homicidal maniac…The other girls tease me and start fights and make it seem like I'm the bad guy. They locked me in that room by myself and refuse to let anyone hang out with me. I defend myself and that makes me the bad one? I just want to go home just like everyone else in that place…only I have no home to go to."

Artemis sighed. "I know how that feels."

Paige looked up in disbelief. "Really…? You know how I feel? I sincerely doubt that Mrs. West. I mean look at you! You're beautiful, you obviously have a husband that loves you and you seem pretty damn happy to me. You don't know what it's like to live at home with someone that wishes you were dead. You don't know what it feels like to love someone _so_ much because they're your parent and they are supposed to look after and protect you…only for them to treat you like an infectious disease that they want to disappear forever but there's no cure. You wanna know why the social workers took me away and threw me into that nuthouse? Because mom and I were fighting and I gave her a hug and she slapped me. My own mother slapped me and called me filth. Something inside me snapped…and I hit her back, and you know the rest. How could you possibly know what I'm going through?"

"Because I used to be you." Artemis said. Paige gave Artemis a confused look as tears filled the older woman's eyes.

"Tell you what Paige, you and me are gonna take a little trip for a while. Think you can handle being away from St. Anne's for a little while?"

Paige nodded slowly before standing from the booth and following Artemis out of the restaurant.

* * *

Paige looked around, nervousness filling the pit of her stomach as Artemis drove them into the Gotham slums. Graffiti was smeared across the walls, homeless people slept on street benches, and gunshots could be heard off in the distance. Artemis put her car in park and took a deep breath before getting out of the car.

"What are we doing here?" Paige asked as she looked around the rough neighborhood and got out of the car to stay with Artemis.

"I'm going to tell you a story and I promise that by the end of it, you'll understand why you and I are more alike than you think."

* * *

 **A/N:** **And I'm going to end it here. So Artemis has a client who she can relate to. What could possibly come from this relationship? A lot folks. A LOT. Any who, leave me a review. See you at the next update!**

 **-KairiAngel13**


	6. The Dinner

**A/N:** **I am sure you have all heard by now, but Season 3 of "Young Justice" has just been confirmed and I couldn't be happier! I literally screamed, then cried for about five minutes when I read the trending article on Facebook the other night and I STILL can't get over the fact that my favorite DC cartoon since "Justice League" has been renewed after three years. Our voices have been heard and we can finally get another kickass season of an amazing show. I guess a lot of fanfics will be popping up soon too; which makes me even happier.**

 **Anyways, enough fangirling. It's time for the next update. Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed and left me some feedback on how you're receiving the story. I'm pleased to have received mostly positive reviews so far and I hope that the review count will continue to grow as time goes on. You guys are awesome!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own the** _ **Young Justice**_ **or the** _ **Young Justice: Invasion**_ **series. Both series were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti and were written by a team of writers consisting of Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Andrew Robinson, Nicole Dubuc, Jon Weisman, Tom Pugsley, and Peter David. I do however own the entire plot of this story and all of the original characters featured in this story. This is simply because I created them from scratch and have turned them into characters and a plot that you will grow to love. With that being said, DO NOT REPRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAYS, SHAPE, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I CREATED THIS STORY, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS BELONG TO ME. Please read, memorize, and abide by this disclaimer.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **KairiAngel13**

* * *

 _ **"The Dinner"**_

Paige was silent as she followed Artemis and Mr. Watson up the rickety, old steps of Artemis's former apartment building. Mr. Watson was an older man in his late fifties. He had a huge beer gut, salt and peppered colored hair with a receding hairline, and a huge bushy mustache. Paige made a wild guess that he was a smoker due to the overpowering stench of Newport smoke that was clinging to his clothing and skin. She purposefully walked a few steps behind him and her caseworker to avoid having her nostrils being overrun by the smell.

The group walked through the doorway of the eighth floor of the apartment building and Mr. Watson led them down the hall to an old brown door, the paint showing signs of wear and peeling. He pulled a key ring out of his back pocket and began moving keys around in search for the right one, a sigh escaping his lips before he let out a gruff cough.

"No one's lived in this apartments since you and your pops left. Let's just say, no one was too keen on the idea of living in an apartment that once served as a crime scene."

"I can understand that." Artemis said, a sad smile warming her lips. "Thanks for letting me in on such short notice."

"It's no problem hon. Be sure to lock up on your way out. I gotta get back downstairs and wait on the electrician to show up. He's supposed to be rewiring the Madison apartment on the second floor."

Artemis giggled as her thoughts turned to the Madison family- two black parents who were madly in love with an entire tribe of children. "They're still living here?"

"Sure are. They added two more kids to their growing brood since you left. That makes six kids living in that two bedroom apartment. Cheryl and Ryan have three bunk beds, and one of 'em's in the living room. If they didn't pay their rent on time each month, I would have sent them packing _years_ ago."

"Right then. Thanks again Mr. Watson. I appreciate it."

The old man pushed the apartment door open and nodded before making his way back to the stairwell. Artemis then took a deep breath before stepping into the apartment and flipping the light switch on beside the door. She then nodded, giving Paige permission to step inside. The teen walked in slowly as she looked around the dingy apartment. It smelled old and rather musty almost like mothballs were being kept somewhere inside. It was also very cold, more than likely due to the fact that the heat hadn't been turned on in seven years. The walls were paneled with a dark brown wood and the floor was covered in a musty green carpet that one would typically find in old brownstone apartments. The living room and kitchen area were connected, separated by a mere half-wall. There were a few items in the house that had been left behind when Artemis had moved in with her sister like the old microwave, a plaid patterned couch, and the trophy shelf where a few of the families old archery trophies still stood, collecting dust.

The door closed loudly behind the two girls and Paige jumped before looking over her shoulder towards Artemis. The older woman had her arms wrapped around her waist as she looked around the apartment, a sad smile on her face.

"So...this is where you grew up?" Paige spoke, breaking the silence.

Artemis nodded before walking further into the house, memories seeping through the air and into the inner crevices of her skull, making the pain of the memories grow stronger. She walked into the kitchen and pulled one of the top drawers open, the drawer bending at an awkward angle as it struggled to stay on its track.

"This drawer got broken the summer that I was ten. My sister came home late and dad shoved her into it. The corner cut through her side and she had to go to the hospital to get stitches." The blonde moved from the kitchen and into the living room, Paige watching her as she raised her hand towards a whole in the wall beside the bathroom door. "See this hole? My dad punched his fist through it by accident. He was aiming for my face when I was thirteen. I ducked out of the way and his fist split right through the paneling. He was so mad about the damages that he threw me to the floor and continued to kick me in the stomach. He didn't stop until I started coughing up blood."

Artemis motioned for Paige to follow her and the teen obeyed. They headed down the narrow hallway to a bedroom in the back where two twin-sized beds were positioned opposite each other, their sheets stripped revealing floral-patterned and stained mattresses. There was a hole in one of the floor boards in between the beds, an old night stand table that had black electrical tape wrapped around one of its legs, a lamp with a dirty white shade covering its top, and a tall dresser that had a thick layer of dust on it.

"This was my bedroom." Artemis spoke as she resumed her memory tour. "My bed was the one on the left and my sister Jade's was the one on the right. We shared this room up until the day that Jade ran from home. Dad pulled the lock off the door when I was ten to keep us from locking ourselves inside. The two of us wanted to hide from him...especially after he started to pimp us out to his filthy friends as payment for the debts he owed."

"What?" Paige asked, her voice just above a whisper as she stared at Artemis in shock.

The blonde nodded before turning around to face the girl. Paige could see the worry and fear lining the woman's face and she could see the un-shed tears in her eyes. It was more than obvious that Artemis had gathered an impeccable amount of strength up just to bring her to such a horrible place.

"This apartment and all of its horrible memories are a part of my testimony Paige. That is why I brought you here today. I was beaten, starved, raped, and neglected for _years._ I had no one in the entire world to take care of me other than my father and that man never showed me a single ounce of love. I always remained with him because I had no one else after my sister abandoned us; but if it hadn't been for the support of my friends and the love I received from the boy who would eventually become my husband, I would have never had the strength to endure and make it out of this place alive with a story to tell to people like you. So you see Paige, I _know_ what you are going through. In fact, I might have had it just a little worse than you do now. So when you said earlier that I couldn't possibly understand what you're going through...when you said you wonder why I even bothering helping you? When you wonder why I help any child who finds themselves in a situation like yours, it's because I have _been_ there. I made it out of my hell hole and you can do the same Paige. All you need is a little guidance from someone who cares enough about you to help you out."

Paige was silent as she took in Artemis's words. She looked around the bedroom one final time, her eyes stopping on a faded and torn poster of the Cheshire Cat on an _Alice in Wonderland_ poster.

"We should get you back to St. Anne's." Artemis said brushing past the girl as she headed towards the front door. Paige stood still for a moment as she looked around the room one final time. She then turned to follow Artemis out.

* * *

 _"Hello Artemis. This is Quentin Atteberry, your father's attorney. I am so sorry that it has taken me so very long to get back to you. I am pleased that you have decided to take up your father's offer to handle his affairs. I would like to schedule a meeting with you for sometime next week; and to save you a little bit of air fare, I will be coming to visit you in Gotham this time around. We can meet up and begin to handle the first few aspects of your father's estate. Please, call me back as soon as you get this message so we can get a proper meeting scheduled. I am looking forward to your call. Thanks, and have a great day!"_

* * *

Artemis walked through the front door of her home and sighed as the door slammed shut behind her. She rested her back against the door and stared up at the ceiling for a while as she thought over the day's events. Going back to that dingy old apartment had never been on her "to do" list for the day, and it had definitely taken a lot out of her. Being confronted with so many horrific memories and being reminded of how many times she thought she would never make it out of that apartment made her feel like that sad, scared little girl she had been all those years ago. It was tough on her, but thankfully, the visit had done more for Paige than she could have hoped for. The teen seemed to have mellowed out after their field trip and she was actually looking forward to Artemis's visit the following week. They may not have made too much progress with the girl's mother, but they had formed a level that wasn't too close to trust, but one that was definitely of understanding.

Artemis removed her coat and placed it on the nearby coat rack before placing her keys on the end table. She then made her way towards the kitchen in search of a certain redhead. He had texted her on her way home to announce that they were having tomato soup for dinner and she and her growling stomach were both eager for a bowl. Shen she reached the kitchen, it wasn't her freckled face Speedster waiting on her. Instead, it was one very angry Zatanna Zatara. Zatanna was sitting at the kitchen table with her arms crossed over her chest and her right leg crossed over the left as she drummed her fingers impatiently against her arm.

"Zee...? What are you doing here?" Artemis asked.

"How could you Artemis?" the raven-haired beauty snapped, not even bothering to offer any sort of greeting or explanation as to what she was doing there.

"I'm sorry?" Artemis asked as she raised an eyebrow. Zatanna stood from her seat and crossed the room to stand in front of her friend.

"You went to Wayne Manor and spoke to Dick, and apparently, the two of you made amends. Do you mind explaining why you thought that was a good idea?"

Artemis sighed as she reached a hand up to pull out her hair tie. She knew that Zatanna would find out about her reconciliation with Wayne Enterprises's Co-CEO eventually, but she didn't think it would be this soon. Artemis had spoken to her sister about the rekindled friendship and there wasn't a doubt in her mind that her darling older sister had let it slip to their friend.

"He's my best friend Zee, you know, aside from you." Artemis sighed as she rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I hated the fact that we stopped talking to each other Zatanna. I hated not being able to have him around to be my dorky best friend and he felt the same way. He truly is sorry."

"Sorry for fighting with you, or sorry for hurting _me_ and breaking _my_ heart; or did that little detail just happen to slip your mind Artemis?"

"No Zatanna, I didn't forget about you two breaking about. Look, I know this is gonna be hard for you, but I'm sure we can all find a way to make this thing work. Dick and I have been best friends since the day we met and I refuse to waste one more day being mad at him over a situation that doesn't even concern me."

Zatanna parted her lips to speak, but she closed them quickly in hesitation to do so. Thinking over her next words carefully to avoid an even bigger fight, she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Artemis, there is so much more to what happened between me and Dick than you will ever know. What the two of us had is damaged beyond repair and I don't think it is possible for me and him to ever be friends again. So please, try and understand me when I say that I want absolutely _nothing_ to do with him. If you want to be friends with him again, by all means, go right ahead. I can't stop you from doing what you want to do. Just don't expect me to join in on the fun."

Artemis was taken aback by Zatanna's coldness, and she was even more shocked when she snatched her purse off the kitchen table before storming out of the kitchen. Artemis didn't watch her go, but she jumped when the front door slammed shut and echoed loudly off the hallway walls. A gnawing feeling of guilt clawed at the blonde's heartstrings as she listened to the sound of Zatanna's engine starting outside. With a groan, she combed her fingers through her hair before making her way over to the abandoned pot of tomato soup left on the stove. She lifted the lid and smiled as the delicious smell wafted through her nose. She reached into the overhead cabinet and grabbed a bowl. Just as she grabbed the ladle to spoon the soup into its holding cell, a strong pair of arms snaked around her waist from behind. She purred as her captor's arms tightened around her waist, their lips moving to her neck as they began to pepper kisses down its length, stopping at the sensitive tendon between her shoulder and throat that made her knees buckle.

"Welcome home." Wally's deep voice greeted her ears. Artemis set her bowl down on the counter before turning around in Wally's embrace and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him down so their lips could meet in a passionate kiss. Artemis hummed against his lips, her stomach fluttering as her mind drifted towards their emptied king-sized bed on the second floor of their home. She quickly pushed her perverted thoughts to the back of her mind as Wally broke their kiss. He smiled at her before pressing his lips to her forehead sweetly.

"That was quite a welcome." she said with a playful smile.

"Well, I heard you and Zatanna arguing in here and thought you could use a little spark to put a smile on your face."

Artemis's smile quickly fell at the mentioning of her fight with Zatanna. She turned to finish filling her bowl before moving to take a seat at the kitchen table. Wally joined her a few moments later and rested his chin in the palm of his hand to watch her eat.

"She's mad that me and Dick made up." she began as she ate a spoonful of her soup. "I tried to get her to understand my position in the situation. Dick and I have been best friends since my family first moved to Gotham and we have been through _so much_ together. I can't just _not_ forgive him because they had a bad breakup. Their spat has nothing to do with me as far as I'm concerned and I have no right to choose sides!"

Artemis took another slurp from her soup before making a face of discomfort, and her husband didn't fail to notice. Artemis placed a hand on her stomach before standing from her seat and walking to the fridge.

"Something wrong?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Artemis shook her head as she began rummaging through the fridge. "No, I'm just super hungry is all. I didn't eat lunch at work today thanks to a little field trip that me and Paige took; and I don't think soup is gonna be enough to fill me up."

"I could always make you a grilled cheese?" Wally suggested. "It's what I ate with my bowl earlier."

"Nah, I'm not really feeling grilled cheese today." Artemis said as she returned to the table with a jar of dill pickles. She quickly unscrewed the lid and set it off to the side before grabbing the largest one and taking a loud, crunchy bite. Wally raised an eyebrow at the action, but said nothing as she finished the pickle and resumed eating her soup.

"So...Dick stopped by earlier today to patch things up with me." Wally said, ignoring the fact that his wife was eating such a strange combination of food. "Since he apologized to you for the way he treated you and he apologized to me as well, I couldn't help but to fogive him. After all, he's one of my best friends too. I guess Kori's supposed to be getting in from Europe tomorrow afternoon and he wants us to have dinner with the two of them at the manor."

"Dinner at Wayne Manor huh?" Artemis said, a thoughtful look on her face. "It's been a while since we've done that. I mean, we used to eat over there all them time when he and Zatanna were together. Is it wrong that I feel strange going without her there?"

"No, I think it will be strange too; but Dick is our friend, and from what the two of you have told me about Kori, she seems like a great girl. I guess it couldn't hurt to pay them a visit. Besides, if Alfred is making grilled sirloin with his signature seasoned potatoes, I _cannot_ miss this date!"

Artemis laughed before finishing the rest of her soup and moving to put her bowl in the sink. Wally grabbed the lid to the pickle jar to put them away, but was stopped by Artemis as she made a grab for it and snatched it out of his hands.

"Sorry, I thought you were done."

Artemis shook her head before reaching to grab another one. "Nah, I think I'm just gonna take these with me to the study. They'll make a good snack!"

* * *

The next evening came quickly and the air was rather chilly, forcing the Speedster and Archer to done their winter coats on their way to Wayne Manor. They drove with the heat on full blast while an old Nirvana song belted through the speakers. Wally turned the volume down as they turned onto Wayne Manor's street, pulling up to the front gate. The guard who had been on Bruce Wayne's staff for nearly twenty years recognized Wally's car and let him in without even bothering to ask if he had a scheduled appointment. Wally placed the car in park just outside the front door before cutting the engine off and hopping out to let his wife out of the car. Artemis shifted uncomfortably in her seat before taking Wally's hand and stepping out of the vehicle. Wally raised an eyebrow as he watched her tugging at the bottom of her dress to pull it down.

"You okay?" he asked.

"The one thing I didn't miss about these dinner parties is dressing up." she grumbled as she continued to fuss over the hem. "You _know_ how much I hate wearing dresses!"

Wally smiled before wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her temple. "Well, I think you look absolutely beautiful. You should wear a dress more often babe."

"Not a chance." she said with a smirk before taking his hand in hers and walking up the front steps. Just as Artemis lifted her finger to ring the doorbell, the front door opened revealing Alfred dressed in a black suit with a red vest underneath. He smiled brightly, his mustache curling with his lips as he stepped aside to usher them into the house.

"Ah, Sir Wallace, Madame Artemis, welcome." he said in greeting.

Wally smiled as he released Artemis's hand to give Alfred a hug, which the butler gladly accepted. "It's great to see you again Alfred. It's been way too long."

"I was just about to say the same thing. Master Dick and Madame Kori are in the dining hall waiting for you. Shall I take your coats?"

"Please do." Artemis said as she shrugged her black leather jacket off and handed it to the butler. Wally did the same before shooting Artemis a seductive look, admiring how her little red dressed hugged the curves of her body nicely. The two of them took each other's hand once more before making their way towards the dining room.

Dick and Kori's laughter reached the couple's ears as they neared the entryway to the dining hall. The aviator donning Dick and his Starfire stopped their story telling when they felt Artemis and Wally's presences enter the room.

"Guys, you made it." Dick exclaimed with a bright smile. He and Kori stood from their seats and approached the two of them.

"We're glad we could be here." Wally said as Artemis nodded in agreement.

"Hi there." Kori said with a bright smile as she extended her hand towards Wally who took it graciously. "Dick has told me so much about you that that I feel like I already know you. I'm Kori Anders. It's very nice to meet you."

"Ah, the one and only Starfire." Wally said with a smile. "I've heard quite a few things about you too. All positive things though, so no worries."

"Likewise." Kori spoke before shifting her attention to Artemis. "Artemis, I'm glad to be seeing you again under...better circumstances than when we last met."

Artemis laughed before nodding her head. "Yes. I like this meeting a whole lot better."

"What do you say we sit down and have a glass of wine?" Dick suggested. "Alfred said dinner will be ready shortly, so we all have a little time to catch up."

Everyone moved towards the dining table and took their seats. Dick then passed a fresh bottle of Chardonnay around the table, each present person filling their glass halfway before passing it on to the next person. Dick inhaled the sweet aroma before taking a sip and setting his glass on the table while his companions did the same.

"So Dick, I've heard Wayne Enterprises has accepted you well." Wally said, striking up a conversation. "Last time we had the chance to sit down like this, you were still being trained."

"Well, Bruce wanted to be sure that I could handle the responsibilities of running a multi-billion-dollar company, so he spent a lot of one on one time teaching me the tools of the trade. I mostly handle the paperwork side of the business and crunch numbers while he goes to all the big meetings and fundraising events with fellow investors; but my ideas are always included in board meetings and he actually likes my work. A few of my proposals will be going into effect very soon. I can't really discuss the details because the next project is so big, but I'm sure it will be a huge success just like all of our previous endeavors."

"What about you Wally?" Kori spoke up. "Dick tells me that you're a rather talented, aspiring author."

Wally and Artemis exchanged a glance and Artemis smiled, giving Wally the okay to tell their friends about his latest news.

"Well, I haven't had any major publications outside of a few short stories int he Gotham Gazette; but I met with my publisher yesterday and he actually gave me the okay to publish my latest crime novel."

"Really, that's great Wall-man!" Dick exclaimed as he took hold of his wine glass. "A toast to Wally and the future success of his novel."

Everyone clinked their glasses together before taking a sip and setting them back on the table. Kori looked towards their two guests and could see that they weren't too cheerful after sharing such big news.

"Something's wrong." she said. "You don't seem overly excited about becoming a published author. How come?"

Artemis cleared her throat before taking her husband's hand and lacing their fingers together. "Wally's publicist only agreed to publish his book if he included a few...intimate details about my past with my father."

"What?" Dick said, his eyes narrowing. "Why would your boss want you to do that. Does he have any idea how traumatic your past is for both you and Wally?"

Wally sighed. "He feels that if I add a touch of reality to my novel, it will make it a bestseller. I want to be published more than anything, but it feels so wrong divulging details about Artemis's past to the public after the case has been closed for many years. I asked for Artemis's permission and surprisingly, she agreed; but still..."

"You feel guilty." Kori concluded. "I know how hard it is to have such a negative light shone on your private life. How do you think I felt when my sister Koma's tax fraud came to light and my reputation was nearly torn to shreds by the press?"

"I forgot all about that." Wally said as he recalled the incident that had happened nearly three years ago. The press had jokingly dubbed Kori's sister as "Blackfire," a play off her sister's superstar name. Koma had been sentenced to ten years in the state penitentiary for her insurance fraud crimes.

"Yeah, well although the circumstances are different, I can understand not wanting to have your personal lives exposed for the world to see." Kori said with a smile. "Dick and I are here for you two if you need us, just remember that."

"That's very sweet of you Kori." Artemis said with a smile. "Thanks."

The conversation came to a halt as the swinging French doors leading into the kitchen swung open. Alfred came into the room wheeling four covered plates on his serving cart. He moved around the table as he set a plate in front of everyone. He then placed another bottle of Chardonnay on the table just in case.

"Dinner is served." he said with a bow. Dick thanked the older gentleman who responded with a curt nod before wheeling his cart back into the kitchen.

Everyone uncovered their plates and couldn't stop their stomachs from growling as the smell of freshly steamed vegetables, juicy sirloin, and sautéed potatoes and onions filled their nostrils.

"Dick, don't get me wrong, I missed you terribly my friend." Wally said as he placed his napkin in his lap. "But I have _missed_ Alfred's cooking something fierce man."

Everyone laughed at the former track star's confession before grabbing their silverware and digging into their dinner.

* * *

Artemis stood alone in the parlor as she stared out the large face window that looked out over the Manor's courtyard. There was a large fountain in the center of the tall green hedges that was currently inactive due to the cold weather; but Artemis could still imagine the large geysers that would spit water up into the air during the summer. Bruce or Dick would host garden parties in the spring and summer and Alfred would always prepare delicious tarts and sweets for the guests. Now, the courtyard looked rather dreary and showed no signs of its usual beauty.

"Not feeling very social tonight, huh?" Dick's voice came from behind her. Artemis turned around and smiled as he walked into the room, the sound of Kori and Wally's laughter down the hall.

"No, not really." Artemis said with a shrug before turning back to stare at the dormant fountain. "I guess I had too many glasses of wine. I started feeling a little dizzy, so I thought I'd have a little alone time to calm down."

Dick walked and stood beside her, resting his hand on her shoulder as he too stared out at the courtyard. "I hope you don't regret coming here tonight. I know that things seem a little…weird without Zatanna being here with you."

"Things weren't bad at all. I mean sure, Zatanna is my best friend and I'd love it if she were here, but Kori is great and the two of you seem to be…very close. You know, I have to be honest with you for a minute…Zatanna was very angry when she found out that you and I buried the hatchet."

Dick's smile fell and Artemis could feel tension radiating off of him. "What did she say?"

Artemis shrugged. "Nothing too revealing. She just said there is so much about your relationship that I will never understand, and that I shouldn't be too eager about the two of you making amends. She isn't interested, long story short."

Dick was silent for a moment. "I don't blame her."

The two of them were quiet after that, opting to stare out the window instead of delving more into Dick's past relationship. After a while, they could hear Wally and Kori's laughter growing closer as they neared the parlor. The two of them stopped laughing when they stepped into the room, noticing the seriousness lingering in the air.

"There you two are." Wally said, trying to liven things up. "We were worried you'd gotten lost somewhere."

Dick put on a smile before turning around and walking over to Kori. "We were just reminiscing about the time we've missed together, that's all. No worries though."

Dick and Kori continued talking about something else while Wally approached his wife who had yet to turn around. He placed a hand on her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at how warm her skin was to the touch.

"Babe, are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Artemis turned to him, her eyelids heavy. "I'm fine. I'm just…not feeling very well."

Wally nodded in understanding before wrapping an arm around her waist. He turned to Dick who had just questioned whether or not he wanted to shoot a game of pool in the billiard room.

"Actually guys, I think we're gonna head home. Artemis had a long day at the office and she's a little worn out. Maybe we can hang out again this weekend or something?"

Kori and Dick's faces were lined with concern, but they nodded understandingly. Before offering them condolences and wishing Artemis luck at getting better.

* * *

"What were you and Dick talking about so intensely before Kori and I walked in?" Wally called out to Artemis from their bathroom. Artemis shivered before climbing into their bed and pulling the blankets up to her shoulders. She then rolled onto her side and sighed in content from the thought of being able to rest.

"Zatanna." she answered his question as she allowed her eyes to slide closed. "I told him what she said during our little argument yesterday. I was kind of hoping that he'd fill me in on what she meant by _there's more to the situation that I don't need to know about_. I'm really starting to wonder what that something is. I mean, I'm their best friend. I could undoubtedly fix whatever' bothering them, you know?"

Wally spit a glob of toothpaste into the sink before rinsing his mouth out and shutting off the light. He stood in the adjoining doorway and watched Artemis silently for a moment. She was lying on the bed, her eyes closed, and her chest slowly rising and falling. She looked a lot better than she had when they'd left the manor just a half-an-hour earlier, but she still didn't look up to par.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her, suddenly changing the subject.

Artemis shrugged, not bothering to open her eyes to look at him. "I feel a little queasy. Then again, how often do I even drink? I think the wine was too strong for me and my body isn't used to it. That's all."

"Right." Wally said as he forced a smile, trying not to show how worried he actually was for her. Ignoring the gnawing feeling in the back off his mind, he shut the bedroom lights off before climbing into bed and pulling Artemis closed to him. After resting his head on top of hers and whispering his "I love yous," the Speedster found himself falling asleep alongside her.

* * *

 **A/N:** **And so ends another chapter. Don't forget to review!**

 **-KairiAngel13**


	7. The Discovery

**A/N:** **Hey guys; I'm back with the next chapter after taking a few weeks off; and it's filler, with a shocking ending of course! In all honesty, I axed two chapters before posting this one because they had nothing to do with plot progression. This one dawdles a bit, but it's to bring Megan and Conner into the story and to introduce the next huge plot point which I'm sure you'll all enjoy; and NO, it isn't why Dick and Zatanna broke up lol**

 **I promise you guys; you will find out what happened between the two of them later on in the story. I can't reveal it to you now because it would spoil the fun! Now, let's get on with this chapter!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own the** _ **Young Justice**_ **or the** _ **Young Justice: Invasion**_ **series. Both series were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti and were written by a team of writers consisting of Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Andrew Robinson, Nicole Dubuc, Jon Weisman, Tom Pugsley, and Peter David. I do however own the entire plot of this story and all of the original characters featured in this story. This is simply because I created them from scratch and have turned them into characters and a plot that you will grow to love. With that being said, DO NOT REPRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAYS, SHAPE, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I CREATED THIS STORY, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS BELONG TO ME. Please read, memorize, and abide by this disclaimer.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **KairiAngel13**

* * *

 _ **"The Discovery"**_

Artemis's car pulled up to the curb outside of Gotham High School. She stared at the three-story building with a faint smile on her lips as she thought back to the four years she spent behind the stone walls. The school dance where she and Wally finally got to meet face to face, the many archery tournaments she competed in and won, and missing class to sit with Dinah down in the nurse's office. Of course there were other memories like prom senior year, making out with Wally underneath the bleachers during the final homecoming game, and helping Megan with cheerleading tryouts. She wasn't on the team, but she did help choreograph some of their stunts. After all, her dad had trained her in other physical activities other than archery. Her skills had to be used sometime.

"Are you ready?" Artemis asked Paige who was sitting in the passenger's seat next to her. The brunette took a shaky breath before turning to meet her caseworker's gaze.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, I was perfectly fine being home schooled, you know? I never really…fit in at public school."

Artemis smiled encouragingly at the girl and gave her knee a gentle squeeze. "Trust me, you'll love it here. Getting through high school is the least of the worries you'll have in life. Besides, it will be good for you. You'll get the chance to make new friends, you'll learn all kinds of interesting things, and you might find that you'd fit in well to some kind of club or athletics program. This is the first step to you getting out of St. Anne's. So, what do you say?"

Paige stared at Artemis for a moment, uncertainty weighing heavily on her heart. She then turned and looked towards the school building where several teenagers between the ages of fourteen and eighteen were loitering on the front lawn and sidewalk talking and laughing. She took a deep breath before nodding.

"Okay, let's do this."

* * *

Artemis and Paige walked into the main office of Gotham High School and headed over to the secretary's desk. Artemis struck up a conversation with the middle-age woman as she explained who Paige was and what they would be needing to get her started for the day when someone came out of the back office and called out her name. Artemis looked up and smiled as Principal Cleary stepped into the office with a huge grin on her face.

"Well, well, it is you Artemis!" The older woman exclaimed as she walked over to give her former student a hug. "It's been so long since I've seen you last. Welcome back to Gotham High."

"It's sort of good to be back here." Artemis said as she hugged her back.

"So, what brings you here? Need to pick up some student records?"

"No. I'm actually here to finish enrolling Paige Larson. She's one of my clients in a case I'm working on and I figured this would be the best place for her to finish up her education."

"Well welcome to Gotham High School Ms. Larson." Ms. Cleary said as she held out her hand for the younger girl to take. Paige shook it before nodding gratefully. "I hope that you will enjoy your first day here; and since you and Artemis here are pretty close, that makes you close to me. If you need anything, and I do mean _anything_ honey, don't hesitate to ask. Okay?"

Paige smiled, grateful that she had someone to look out for her while she would be enduring her stay. Artemis rested a hand on her shoulder as she said goodbye to her former principal before leading Paige out of the office and into the crowded hallways.

"The school day starts at eight and ends at three-fifteen." Artemis explained as she led Paige through the hall. "You have B lunch, which is the busiest lunch period of the day. So finding a seat might be difficult for the first two days. Study hall for you is during seventh hour, so if you don't want to bring any homework home with you, you might want to get most of it out of the way then. Now, you are starting school two months after everyone else so it's going to be a little difficult at first to get into the swing of things, but your teachers have offered to give you extra study time when needed, and I'm always willing to help you out to."

The girls came to a stop outside one of the many lockers lining the wall. "Thirty-five, fifteen, twenty-nine." Artemis spoke as she pointed at the combination lock.

"Wow, you memorized that pretty quickly." Paige said as she entered the combination.

"I've known that number for a long time. It was my locker all four years of high school."

"Seriously?" Paige asked, a smile on her face.

Artemis nodded "Yep; and if they haven't fixed the problem by now, the bottom shelf should have a dent in the back right corner. So never put anything loose like money or chap stick on it unless you want it to fall through where you can't get it."

Paige opened the locker and looked at the bottom shelf and laughed when she spied the dent. She then looked back at Artemis, a smile still on her face.

"Well, I'm going to get out of here. Do you think you're going to be okay on your own?"

Paige looked around the hall, her eyes stopping on two girls who were waving at her. "Yeah. I think I'll be okay."

* * *

Artemis pulled the key to her office out and unlocked the door before stepping inside and flipping the light switch on. She then removed her coat and placed it on her coat hanger on the wall before heading to her desk. A second person followed her into the room, shutting the door behind them before hanging their coat up on the hook beside hers. They then took a seat in one of the two available living chairs in front of Artemis's desk.

"How was your flight?" she asked uninterestedly as she set her briefcase down on the floor and began to fish through it for the file of her next case of the day.

"It was alright." The male responded. "A few crying infants every now and again, the in-flight movie was the same as the last flight I took, and the peanuts weren't near as salty as I wanted them to be, but it was quick and that's all that matters."

Artemis placed the file folder on the right hand side of her desk before folding her hands neatly on the desktop and staring at her visitor.

"So Mr. Atteberry…about my father's affairs."

Quentin Atteberry reached down into his own briefcase to pull out a stack of folders before handing them to Artemis.

"Each of these file folders contains information about your father's affairs that need to be dealt with. He and I made sure to go through things with a fine toothed comb to ensure that we didn't miss anything. Now I must warn you Artemis, there are a few things that might be hard for you to deal with, but Lawrence wanted everything out in the open for us to sort through. He didn't want to miss anything and he wants to pay off his debts to society."

Artemis opened the folder on top, her eyes reading over the information carefully. The old apartment where he, Artemis, and Jade had lived in back in the Gotham Slums was pictured in the top left hand corner along with financial information. Apparently, Lawrence had been paying for the apartment to keep his lease in spite of him being behind bars in another state. There were specific instructions written below the information on a separate sheet of paper explaining that Lawrence wanted the apartment and all its assets to either be given to one of the girls or released from contract to be refurbished and rented to someone else.

"This is an easy fix." Artemis said as she reached into her top drawer and pulled out a stack of blue sticky notes. She then took a black Sharpie and wrote the word sell on it before sticking it to the page and closing it. She then passed it back to Quentin who nodded and set it in his lap.

Artemis opened the next file, her eyes narrowing as she saw a picture of another residence. The information beside it said it was a penthouse on the north side of Gotham, exactly three blocks from Gotham High School. She moved the folder to the side and opened the next one where another picture of yet another penthouse was placed, the information revealing that it was located across the street from where Artemis used to work as a teenager in a sports equipment store. Artemis repeated the process for five more minutes, moving folders to the side and opening new ones to find other apartments and two houses that were all being paid for with her father's illegally obtained money. Some of them were located in Gotham near places that she used to frequent as a teen with Dick and Zatanna, and some of them were in other states- two of them being in Colorado, one in Florida, three in California, and eight in Chicago.

Artemis set the folders off to the side and took a shaky breath before looking up to meet Quentin's hard gaze.

"He basically stalked me and my sister…that much is obvious by all these apartments here in Gotham. But for the rest of these places…I had no idea that my dad even owned properties outside the city. What was he doing with all of them? He was with me and my sister every day. When did he have time to visit all these places and what for?"

Quentin sighed and gave Artemis a look that told her she wasn't going to like what he had to say. "Your father was in charge of one of the country's most notorious, yet untraceable drug cartels. He monitored distribution from Gotham, but he had many men on his payroll who helped run and distribute the product in other places in the U.S. Basically what you just saw were the safe houses for those dealers."

"This would explain why he was able to afford all of these things." Artemis said as she glared over at the stack of folders. "He had to have been rolling in cash if he's this successful. What I don't get is how he's still managing to have these places paid for if he's behind bars?"

"One of your father's top men also has access to Lawrence's finances, that is until Lawrence cut him off a few months back and decided to put you in charge of things. He trusted this unnamed source to keep things in order and he also had him on salary to ensure that things would be taken care of. The guy must have been trustworthy because he didn't use Lawrence's funds for his own personal gain."

"I'm selling all of them." Artemis declared as she handed him the files. "I don't want anything to do with this filthy business. They were paid for with drug money and they were responsible for obtaining drug money. Get rid of them."

"Okay then." Quentin said. "Do you want to stop for the day? I know that this must have been a lot for you to-"

"No." Artemis said quickly as she opened the next file. "The sooner we get through these things, the sooner I can get on with my life. I know that selling and un-leasing these properties could take a few months or even a few years…but I want to get through this as quickly as possible."

"Alright then."

* * *

Wally walked up the front steps of a white townhouse with red trimming on the East Side of Gotham and rang the doorbell. He shoved his hands deep inside his pockets to protect them from the cold as he stared down at the floral "Welcome" mat that was covered in leaves and debris as he waited to hear the door unlatch. He looked up and smiled as he was greeted by Conner's face.

"Wally." Conner said, a smile spreading across his face as he gave his friend a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I should drop by and say hello." Wally said with a laugh as Conner stepped aside to let him in. Wally hummed as the smell of chocolate chip cookies greeted his nose. "I take it Megan's home."

Conner laughed before heading towards the kitchen with Wally right on his tail. A small flat screen television was mounted on the wall beside the pantry playing an old episode of the _Dick Van Dyke Show_ while Megan hummed a little tune to herself. Just as she reached into the opened oven to grab her pan of cookies, Conner called out to her.

"Hey Megan, look who decided to pay us a visit."

Megan grabbed the pan and looked up. "Oh my God, Wally? What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way home from my editor's office and decided to see how you guys were doing. It's been a few months."

Megan set the hot pan down on top of the stove before moving to hug her friend. "Yeah. We haven't seen you since the fourth of July. We have to come and see you and Artemis more often. How is she?"

"She's good. She's been working really hard down at the office and handling her father's estate."

"Yeah. She called me and told me about the end stage lung cancer last weekend. She also told me that she and Dick are friends again."

"Yeah. He apologized for being a jerk. She and I even went and had dinner with him over the weekend. He introduced us to his new girlfriend Kori."

"Was she nice at least?" Conner asked with a laugh.

Wally nodded. "She really was. I wasn't too sure what to expect with her being a supermodel and all, but she's actually an all-around nice person. She told me a little bit about growing up in New York and being discovered during a county pageant when she was seventeen. She also told me about her little Yorkie and a few stories about the various trips she's been on. She's pretty cool."

"If you and Artemis are friends with Dick again, does this mean he's gonna start coming around more?" Megan asked. "Things have been…a little tense during the few get togethers we've had this year. Mainly because we were trying to have a good time while ignoring the fact that he wasn't there. I mean, Zatanna, might be completely opposed to him coming around, but I think the rest of us would really love to see him."

"That's what I was thinking." Conner said. "Look, my parents are going to spend Thanksgiving with my grandparents in Smallville, and Megan's parents want to travel to Rio; but I'm busy with a construction project that week and can't go, and she doesn't want to go anywhere without me. So, we're gonna have Thanksgiving here. Maybe we could all do a group Thanksgiving together or something, unless you guys had plans to go to your folks' place."

"My parents are going to my Aunt Iris's and Uncle Barry's, and Artemis's mother doesn't want to fly in from Nevada; so I don't think it should be too much trouble for us. Dick will also be down since he hates spending Thanksgiving with just Bruce and Alfred every year. He might bring Kori though. Would you guys be okay with that?"

"I don't see why not." Megan said as she passed Wally one of her fresh cookies, the melted chocolate sticking to her fingers like goo. "Besides, it would give us all a chance to catch up and meet Dick's pretty friend. Any who, I'm gonna stick another batch of cookies in the oven. I have to have them all done before my Halloween party tomorrow. I'll talk to you boys later."

Conner and Wally headed out of the kitchen and into Conner's study where several trophies and medals lined the wall, just like the ones back in Wally and Artemis's study at home. Wally took a seat on the leather sofa while Conner grabbed the football his high school team autographed senior year from its pedestal. He began to toss the ball up into the air as he took a seat and leaned back in his leather recliner.

"So, how've you been?" Wally asked as he leaned back against the couch, his coat sliding against its slick exterior.

"Pretty good. Me and my crew managed to get the exterior to Megan's shop put together and we'll start the interior next week. She should be ready to open shop at the start of the new year. Aside from that, we finished sending out our wedding invitations last week. I asked Mel to be my best man and Megan and he accepted. Then of course you, Dick, and Megan's brother Garfield are gonna be my groomsman if you'd like to accept."

"Of course man." Wally said with a smile. "Anything to make your day the way you want."

"That's good to hear. I'll send you the information as far as where your tux needs to be from and all that good stuff. Megan has Wendy as her matron of honor with Jade, Zatanna, and Artemis as her bridesmaids; so Artemis should be getting a phone call about dress fittings any day now."

"Oh boy. What's the color scheme?"

"Black and white." Connor said with a shrug. "It's the only thing we could agree on. So we're going to alternate colors. Some groomsmen will be in white, some in black, and the same goes for the bridesmaids."

"Then you'd better tell Megan to sign Artemis up for black, because we both know it will be the simplest solution."

The two of them burst into a fit of laughter, Wally holding his sides as he mentally pictured the vein on Artemis's forehead throbbing in irritation at the thought of wearing a white dress to her friend's wedding.

The laughter died down and the sound of audience laughter from the television in the kitchen could be heard. Conner watched Wally as he stared up at the ceiling as though he were lost in thought.

"So, how are you and Artemis?" Conner asked. "Your three-year wedding anniversary is coming up pretty soon."

"Yeah." Wally said, moving from his lost thoughts back to his friend. "I'm pretty excited. I was kind of hoping we could do something special this year. I mean, we've been married for three years, but we've been together for seven. I think we should do something special, you know?"

"Well, I'm not exactly the one to give advice in this area." Conner admitted as he scratched the back of his head. "Megan comes up with everything we do and I just go along with it. It's a benefit of having a bubbly fiancé."

"Yeah, well things are different for me and Artemis. We aren't a lovey-dovey couple who like to get dressed up and go to fancy restaurants, plays, or huge events. I mean, a typical date night for us is ordering takeout and snuggling on the couch to watch movies or play video games, you know?"

"Then do what makes you guys comfortable Wally. It's the easiest route."

"Yeah, but it's predictable. I want to do something that Artemis will remember for the rest of our lives."

"Maybe ask Zatanna and Megan to come up with something? I mean, they are her best friends. Hell, Jade might even be your best bet seeing that they're sisters. You'll figure something out, don't worry."

Wally nodded as he thought over a few ideas. Maybe Dick could lend him his family cabin for their anniversary? They hadn't been to the cabin in a few years and if it were just him and Artemis, they wouldn't be disturbed. Just the two of them nestled in a log cabin in the mountains with snow drifts stretching on for miles. They could light a warm fire and lay on the fur rug in front of the fireplace for hours talking about nothing. They could probably go skiing, which Artemis would certainly enjoy. More importantly, Wally would have the perfect setting to ask Artemis something that had been weighing on his heart for a few months now. It seemed like the perfect way to celebrate New Year's and their love for each other. Now, to set things in motion.

* * *

It was going on two-thirty and Artemis's eyeballs were heavy from all the reading she'd done that day. Quentin had the folders she'd already looked over sitting in a pile on the floor beside him, while he made notes in a few of them and made phone calls to several banks, real estate agencies, and property owners. Out of the thirty-two properties that needed to be sold, he'd managed to get rid of five, and he wasn't even done.

On Artemis's end, she'd managed to clean out four of her father's ten bank accounts to either pay off debts he owed or to donate the money to a worthy cause. She'd told Quentin when she'd made her decisions that she didn't want to have any of the money her father had gathered because it would "stain" her conscience.

Aside from handling financial affairs, Artemis also had to write up apology letters per her father's request to send to a few people, along with money, as though it were some sort of charity case. She learned of family's who had lost a father, son, or husband thanks to her father and his men's murderous ways. She also learned that Dave, the man responsible for bringing so much terror to her teenage years, had a wife and three children when Jade had shot and killed him back in Canton.

The emotions that Artemis were feeling were starting to take a toll on her and she was literally feeling sick from the pressure. So many innocent lives lost, or those who were criminally tainted like Dave, had left innocent lives behind because of their foolish mistakes. A war was raging in the mind of the blonde and she wasn't sure which side to fight on. Lawrence had left a path of destruction in his wake during his time outside of ADX and had destroyed so many lives, which made her hate him even more than she already did; but obviously, he was feeling some kind of remorse for his actions and was wanting to make things right for the people he had hurt. In turn, it made her heart go out to him. It disgusted her. Was Lawrence the evil, conniving, and sadistic bastard she had grown up believing him to be, or had he really had an epiphany?

"I think that's enough for today, don't you think?" Quentin said as he stifled a yawn, stretching his arms above his head to stretch the muscles in his back. "We can take tomorrow off and get right back at it on Wednesday."

"Sounds good." Artemis said, her voice cracking from not being used in over two hours. She closed the last folder before scooting them to the side of her desk. "I'll just hang onto these and give them a quick scan tomorrow so we can cut back on some of what we have to do on Wednesday. Thanks for coming Mr. Atteberry."

"No problem." He said as he placed the files he had back inside his briefcase. He stood and slid his coat on while Artemis took a deep breath. He looked over his shoulder and noticed the look of discomfort on her face as she rested a hand on her forehead. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She said quickly. "I'm just a little nauseous. I did skip out on my lunch hour to keep looking on folders. I'm just hungry is all."

"Right then." He said as he buttoned up his coat. "I'm off to the hotel then. If you find anything else in the files that you wish to discuss, please give me a call. I'll be glad to explain things in full detail or I can get a hold of your father and ask him what steps need to be taken."

"Thanks. Have a good night."

Quentin nodded before gathering his things and heading out into the hall. Artemis took a shaky breath before leaning back in her chair and staring up at the tiled ceiling. Her stomach continued to ache, making her nausea worsen. Deciding to heat up her lunch before moving onto one of her office case files she stood from her seat. Being on her feet seemed to worsen her nausea and Artemis could feel the bile rising up her throat. She quickly ran from behind the desk, knocking her wedding frame and the rest of her father's files off the desktop as she made a dash out of her office and into the bathroom directly across the hall. She pushed the door to the first stall open and collapsed onto her knees before hurling the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl, not stopping until all she could do was dry heave. With a groan, she reached a shaky arm up to flush the toilet before standing to her feet and exiting the stall.

"What was that about?" she wondered aloud as she made her way over to the sink and rinsed her mouth out. Just as quickly as the nausea had come, it went and she was back to feeling like her normal self. She hadn't eaten lunch which could be part of the problem, but she would still be feeling ill if that were the case. She hadn't eaten since breakfast and Wally hadn't done anything too fancy that would have upset her stomach. They'd eaten buttered toast and scrambled eggs with a pot of coffee, a typical breakfast in their house. So why the sudden illness?

Shrugging her thoughts off, Artemis made her way back into her office and sighed at the sight of her father's folders lying on the floor. She gathered up the papers, doing her best to get them into the right folders before setting them on top of the desk. She spied one more paper peeking out from underneath the desk and grabbed it, her eyes scanning over the document. Her eyes came to rest on the picture in the corner and her heart stopped. Was she seeing things? Her eyes ventured to the information beside the picture and her eyes widened as they read over the words over and over again. Her mouth felt dry, her hands were shaking, and Artemis felt like she was going to be sick again. Her eyes never leaving the paper, she took a seat in her chair as she did her best to cope with this newfound news.

"This can't be…I have another sister…?" she whispered.

* * *

 **A/N:** **And so ends another chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it and are eager to learn out what else lies ahead for the Speedster and the Archer.**

 **Artemis and Jade have another sister that they've known nothing about for all these years? That's going to be a huge hill to climb over. Wally wants to take Artemis's to the Wayne Family cabin for their anniversary on New Year's to discuss something important with Artemis. Do we all think we know what that might be?**

 **Well, the only way to find out is to leave a review! I'll see you guys at the next update!**

 **-KairiAngel13**


	8. The Setback

**A/N:** **Well everyone, it took me long enough to get back to you, but the next chapter is finally here. After two years, I know many of you have probably forgotten that this story even existed, but I hope that you all are still waiting to read what happens next.**

 **Just to keep you all updated, I have graduated from university with my bachelors in English Literature, so I can begin writing for an online columnist. In the meantime, I have also taken up a job with DCFS in a branch office known as CYFS, so my job keeps me VERY busy. So, between working crazy hours, raising a three-year-old, and staying actively involved in community projects, I sort of got behind on my updating; but I am back now, and you shouldn't have to worry anymore about me going on hiatus for years at a time.**

 **Last we left off, Artemis learned quite the bombshell about Lawrence's secret activities in life, and she discovered that she and Jade have a half-sister. If you thought that added drama to the storyline, you haven't seen nothing yet. On with the update!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own the** _ **Young Justice, Young Justice: Invasion,**_ **or** _ **Young Justice: Outsiders**_ **series. All three were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti. I do not own any characters from the show or their backstories that were created for the show. I do however own the idea that forged the plot of this fictional piece, and all original characters that I have created for this story. With that being said, DO NOT REPRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I created this story and all of those rights belong to me. Please read, memorize, and abide by this disclaimer.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **KairiAngel13**

* * *

" _ **The Setback"**_

Jade breathed out a long sigh as she lifted a dirty lasagna plan from the sink and began to scrub it with her scratch pad. An old Bon Jovi song played through the static of a radio, as it sat on the windowsill, as the twenty-four-year-old quietly sang to herself. A loud bump vibrated the ceiling above her, shaking the hanging palm above the sink, and Jade sighed before lifting her head.

"Halen, Tristin, and Lian, settle down right now!" she shouted in annoyance before turning her attention back to the dishes, scrubbing at the dried sauce and cheese with more effort than before. The kids had probably knocked over a lamp or chair, and Jade could do nothing but hope that it had not broken.

As the beginning of the Spin Doctor's "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" started on the radio, the patio doors slid open off to Jade's right. She glanced over in the direction of the door, pausing briefly when Roy stumbled into the house still bearing his five o'clock shadow. Jade narrowed her eyes before setting the dish down in the sink and drying her hands on a hanging rag that was tied to the cabinet handle below her.

Roy did not notice her at first, and he knocked a ceramic jar of sugar off the counter beside him as he struggled to slide the door shut behind him. Jade tensed as the small white crystals spread across the floor, the lid to the jar rolling like a coin across the floor and coming to rest at her feet. Roy's eyes followed the lid and paused when they spotted Jade's bare feet. He slowly lifted his head and sighed at the sight of a scowl on her face.

"Don't start." He sighed in annoyance as he walked across the kitchen and pried the refrigerator door open, the bottles of condiments rattling loudly from the effort.

"Where the hell have you been Roy?" she chastised him as she moved to stand behind him. She watched as he reached for a half-emptied Aquafina bottle and unscrewed the cap, tossing it carelessly over his shoulder as he threw his head back to chug the water. "You do realize it's almost four in the afternoon? You've been gone since six last night Roy. I needed your help with the kids today and you were conveniently nowhere to be found. Care to explain yourself?"

"I had things to do." He said when he finished chugging. He crushed the empty bottle in his hand before slamming the fridge door shut and stomping over to the recycling bin in the corner. "I didn't think you'd want me coming in at five this morning, so I slept over at a friend's place. Turns out I left my phone here, so sorry if you couldn't get a hold of me."

Jade was not sure whether she should scream at Roy or just ignore him. His behavior was really starting to piss her off and she had no clue as to what she should do. The man standing before her was a hollow shell of the husband she knew and loved. This man was an unemployed alcoholic who slept all day and had no purpose in life other than to warm her couch cushions. Her Roy was happy and filled with life, a man who valued his family and loved his wife beyond measure. How is it that those two men were the same person?

"What's your problem?" Roy asked suddenly, pulling Jade from her thoughts. It was then that she realized she had started crying. Her eyes had blurred, and the back of her throat was burning as though steam were rising up her esophagus. With a sigh she wiped the tears from her eyes before returning to the sink, her fingers turning the radio up to full blast. She could feel Roy's gaze on her back for a minute before he left the room, his feet thudding against the tiled floor.

With a shaky breath, Jade allowed her tears to fall freely as she went back to finishing up the dishes. She ignored the evening playlist on her favorite radio station. She ignored the sound of her kids knocking something over out in the front hall. She ignored the sound of Roy's snoring coming from the living room. Jade Crock stayed silent as her eyes pooled with tears, the pain in her heart searing her chest.

Two hours later, the tears had finally stopped, and Jade continued with her evening. Her three children sat at the dinner table happily talking amongst themselves as she spooned a simple dinner of instant macaroni and cheese with hotdogs onto their paper plates. The kids remembered their manners and thanked their overworked mother before shoveling their dinner into their mouths, occasionally burping and stopping to drink the glasses of water Jade had given them before their meals had been served.

Before Jade could fix herself a plate, the front doorbell rang, its sound echoing off the walls of the tiny townhouse. Jade sighed and sat the pot and spoon back on the stovetop as she asked the kids to stay put and finished eating. She ignored her snoring husband in the living room as she headed for the door and stood on her toes, squinting to see through the peephole. Artemis was standing on the porch, her hands shoved into the pockets of her leather coat as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. Knowing that Artemis would blow her stack over her disheveled appearance, Jade quickly wiped at the tears staining her face and tousled her hair about to give it a wild, yet pleasing appearance. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the door handle open and forced a light smile.

"Well, well, if it isn't my little sister." Jade said before stepping out onto the porch, shutting the door tight behind her. "It's a little late for you to be on my side of town. What gives?"

"I need to talk to you." Artemis said, her usual rasp causing her voice to crack. "It's pretty big."

Jade's smile faded when she noticed how tired her sister looked. Whatever was going on, it obviously had Artemis worried. Jade motioned her head towards the small wicker loveseat on the porch, silently asking her sister to sit down, as she opened the door and grabbed her coat off the hook just inside. After shrugging the wool jacket on and covering up her swollen belly, Jade joined Artemis on the cushioned seat and patiently waited for her sister to explain.

Artemis opened her mouth but quickly shut it. Jade decided not to push the girl and watched as Artemis breathed out a slow breath, a stream of fog blowing from her mouth and into the late October night air.

"I met with Mr. Atteberry today, dad's attorney." Artemis began as she started playing with her fingerless gloves, her nails pulling at the small bits of fuzz and lint that she could see. "We started going through all of Lawrence's things. At first, I thought I should have taken your advice and just left everything in Mr. Atteberry's hands, but I've learned some things that I think you should know."

"Artemis, can we not do this right now?" Jade sighed as she leaned back in her seat. "Lawrence is locked away for life and he is literally going to die in prison. Why bother digging through his past? We already know that he is a sick son of a bitch."

"Jade, will you please just listen to me?" Artemis pleaded, her eyes worn out and tired. Jade breathed through her nose before willing her eyes to slide shut as she tilted her head back, her nose up in the air. Artemis knew that her sister probably could care less about what Lawrence had done with his life, but the blonde still had a desperate need to share what she had learned.

"Lawrence was responsible for one of the country's largest drug cartels." Artemis began as she thought over the documents she had seen earlier that day. "He had safe houses set up all throughout Gotham, and he even had a few houses in other cities around the U.S. Lawrence had a ledger in which data was recorded – the data being pay dates for the ring leaders that Lawrence had in charge of each location. It made me sick to my stomach Jade."

"And you're surprised because…?"

"Damn it Jade, how does this not bother you?"

Jade was silent for a moment as she mulled over her thoughts. Artemis watched her older sister as she opened and closed her mouth several times, the older of the two struggling to find the right words to say. Looking out the corner of her eye at the blonde beside her, Jade breathed out a sigh.

"I knew dad was running a cartel." She finally admitted, earning a gasp from Artemis. "I didn't know how far spread it was, but I knew Artemis. Dad had been working on the docks since we were kids, don't you remember?"

"I just always thought he was loading lumber or cargo. He was never specific about the kind of work he was doing. Then again, I never asked."

Jade rolled her eyes at her sister's innocence before resting her hand on Artemis's thigh. "Lawrence was a crooked bastard who used his cargo gig as a coverup operation, so he could run drugs around the whole damn city. He has hurt and killed people to keep his business thriving, and lest we not forget, he took all his frustration out on the two of us. Remind me again _why_ you're working so hard to help him out?"

Artemis's lips pressed into a thin line as she thought over her sister's words. Yes, Lawrence had been a cruel man to all who knew him, and he certainly was not deserving of the title: "Father of the Year." He had a sick, twisted mind and he did not show a bit of remorse for the pain and suffering he had caused both Artemis and Jade growing up.

In spite of this, he had shown a small bit of compassion when Artemis had seen him inside those stone walls. He looked tired and defeated, his life slowly ebbing away with each passing day. Despite the way he had treated her, Artemis did not think that a slowly and painful death, from cancer, was the way to go.

"Well, if that's all, I'm going back inside to eat dinner." Jade said as she stood to her feet, the wooden floorboards of the porch creaking loudly under her added weight.

"Wait a second Jade." Artemis said as she reached out and grabbed her sister's hand. "There's more."

"Artemis, I really don't give a damn about Lawrence or any of the bad decisions he's made in life. I have bigger problems okay? I have three kids to take care of and another baby on the way. Roy is still unemployed, and he doesn't do a damn thing around here to help out. I work two jobs to keep a roof over our heads and to make sure our kids are taken care of. I don't have the time or the desire to let dad's drama into my life."

Jade's shoulders were heaving by the time she finished her ramp and Artemis felt guilty for not noticing how stressed her sister had been before she had shown up unannounced. Jade's eyes were puffy and red from crying and she looked worn out. Silently, Artemis stood to her feet and walked past her sister to head into the house.

Artemis ignored Jade's cries to come back as she headed deeper into the house. The blonde's eyes moved around the foyer, taking in the sight of crooked picture frames on the wall, toys trailing up the main staircase, and piles of laundry strewn about. Artemis paused when she reached the living room, her eyes settling on Roy who was snoring loudly on the couch. Artemis could hear the children in the kitchen arguing, Lian hollering for Halen to stop throwing macaroni noodles at her.

"Roy Harper get your ass up right now." Artemis snapped, her voice echoing loudly off the high ceiling. The older male continued to snore, completely unaffected by Artemis's presence. Nostrils flaring, the blonde stomped across the room and grabbed the sleeping Roy by the friend of his shirt. With a heavy grunt, she managed to yank him off the couch, watching as his body slammed against the hardwood floor.

A stream of curses spewed from Roy's mouth as Artemis glowered down at him, her rage ebbing off her in waves. Roy lifted his bloodshot eyes and froze when they met the stormy gray irises of his sister-in-law. He mumbled something inaudibly as he stood to his feet, the word "bitch" being the only word to reach Artemis's ears. Once he was standing upright, he leaned down so that their faces were mere inches apart.

"What the hell do you want Artemis?" he asked, the stench of cheap whisky practically burning the younger girl's nostrils. Artemis's eyes watered from the stench and she backed a few steps away.

"Jesus Harper, the least you can do before going to bed his brush your damn teeth. You wreak."

"Sorry I couldn't clean up and please you." He said with a roll of his eyes. "We can't all be perfect, you know. What the hell do you want?"

The front door could be heard slamming shut outside the archway, and Artemis could hear her sister's bare feet padding against the hardwood floor as she hurried inside. Jade paused in the doorway, her right hand holding onto the wooden trim for support as she tried to catch her breath.

"Artemis please leave." Jade groaned as she gave her sister a pleading look. Artemis shook her head, ignoring her sister's request, as her eyes remained locked on Roy's.

"I'm not going anywhere Jade." Artemis said firmly while Roy glared at her. "How can you sit around here asleep, in a drunken haze, when my sister _clearly_ needs your help Roy?"

"Artemis stop it." Jade warned her. "This is none of your business."

"The hell it isn't my business. How many times do we have to go through this until you both start trying to change? For Christ's sake Jade, you're six months pregnant. You should not be working so damn hard to keep your family afloat. Roy you need to be a man and take care of my sister. Do you not see how tired she is? Do you not see how stressed out she is? She suffers in silence because you aren't being the husband that she needs you to be. You're supposed to take care of her just as much as she takes care of you. Geez, do you even care about her?"

"Why don't you worry about your own damn marriage and stay the hell out of mine!" Roy roared. "You always find the time to stick your nose into mine and Jade's business. Stay in your own lane Artemis."

"Are you kidding me? My sister has spent her _whole_ life taking care of everyone but herself. So, forgive me for being a little upset with the fact that you, her husband, is a disrespectful and selfish son of a bitch."

Artemis's words struck a nerve then, Roy's right eye twitching in irritation. Jade's eyes blurred with tears as she watched her husband and sister bickering like two children on the playground, their faces red as they shouted insult after insult back and forth. Roy gave Artemis a good shove and Artemis shoved him back with enough force that he stumbled back and landed on the couch. Their screaming built up to the point that it was practically deafening. So, it was no surprise to Jade when her three children came into the room, confusion on their faces.

Artemis jabbed her index finger into Roy's chest, her ears turning red from how angry she was, as she demanded he get a job and: "get your shit together, or so help me God…" Roy ignored her words and hollered for Artemis to get off his case while his children started yelling for the two of them to stop fighting. Everything suddenly came to a standstill when Lian started screaming.

"Mommy, mommy get up!"

The little girl's words suddenly pulled Roy and Artemis out of the shooting range, their heads snapping in Lian's direction. Their eyes grew wide when they saw that Jade had collapsed, the woman completely unresponsive as Lian screamed for her mother to open her eyes.

Artemis ran over to her sister, dropping down on her knees so hard that they would probably bruise the next day. She gently pushed Lian aside before lifting Jade's head into her lap, calling out to her sister to try and get some sort of response. Roy stood up from the couch and walked over, his shadow falling over the two sisters, before he also got down on his knees. Artemis could see the panic on his face, and as much as she wanted the chew him out for finally showing some concern, she knew her sister was top priority.

"Call an ambulance." She said quickly before reaching in her pocket to hand him her cell. "I can feel her pulse, but it's really slow."

Roy nodded, his hands shaking as he unlocked Artemis's screen and stood to his feet. Artemis took a deep breath to calm herself as the children started crying. She then turned to Lian and did her best to stay calm.

"Lian, I need you to take your brothers upstairs. You guys need to put your shoes on and find your coats. We're going to take a little ride to the hospital."

Lian, always an obedient little girl, picked Tristin up before asking Halen to follow her. Artemis watched as they disappeared up the stairs before turning her attention back to Jade. It was then that she noticed the pool of blood.

* * *

"Uncle Wally, you could at least color inside the lines." Lian said with a giggle as she leaned over her coloring book. Wally laughed along with her as he turned his picture of a frog just slightly to the left, angling it better so he could color in the frog's long tongue. He had never been one to color inside the lines and as an adult, that still had not changed.

The older man spared a glance at Lian's coloring page of a group of fish before looking up from the small play table to where Artemis and Roy were sitting in the waiting room chairs. Roy had managed to clean himself up before going to the hospital, but he still looked completely run down. Halen was sitting in his father's lap holding onto Wally's phone, the sound of Sonic the Hedgehog collecting rings quietly drifting throughout the room. Artemis was sitting beside him holding a sleeping Tristin, her fingers gently combing through the boy's raven locks as his head rested on her shoulders.

Wally found the scene to be heartwarming, even though the circumstances were rather sad. The doctor had yet to emerge from the sliding emergency room doors with news on Jade, and it been almost an hour since they had been there.

When Wally had gotten Artemis's call, he had panicked at first, thinking that she had been the one to be admitted. When Artemis had explained that it was her pregnant sister who had collapsed at home, his worry did not lessen. Jade was far along in her pregnancy, and the fact that she was bleeding was not a good sign. He had logged off his office computer, his mystery novel shelved for the time being, before he got into his car and sped over to meet his wife at the hospital.

"This is all my fault." Roy spoke suddenly, all eyes moving in his direction. Artemis gave him a questioning look, not sure of whether his words were truthful or completely guilt-driven. Even though he had been cooperative with Artemis in getting Jade to the hospital, that did not change the fact that he had been neglecting his family for months.

"Roy, I don't want to get into this right now." Artemis spoke, her voice cracking from being unused in a few hours. "Can we please just sit here and wait for the doctor."

Wally could see the hurt in his friend's eyes and found that his heart felt for him. Despite the way Roy had been behaving, since being laid off, Wally knew that Roy still loved and cared for Jade. After all they had gone through together, how could he not? Roy had been a rock in Jade's life while she suffered through Lawrence's abuse, and he had convinced her to run away with him when Jade wound up pregnant with Lian. He had supported her and loved her unconditionally. That much was clear, but he had somehow lost his motivation and love for life along the way. Surely, it could not be possible for him to never rebuild the love and trust they once shared?

The sliding glass doors, leading to the emergency unit, whooshed open as a doctor came out wearing his green scrubs. A stethoscope was hanging around his neck and his facemask had been pulled down, its stretchable strings still wrapped around his ears. Artemis stood up quickly, still holding the sleeping Tristin in her arms. Roy stood up after her, setting Halen down on the floor, the little boy's eyes never leaving the video game in his hands.

"You're the family of Jade Harper, yes?" When they nodded, the doctor rubbed the back of his neck. "We managed to stop the bleeding, so Jade is resting comfortably now. We ran several tests, including taking a sonogram to check on the baby. The baby is fine, but I'm afraid Jade has developed a condition that we refer to as placenta previa. What that means is the placenta is now resting right on top of Jade's cervix."

Wally slowly stood to his feet as he allowed the doctor's words to sink in. He had never heard of placenta previa before; and judging by the look on the good doctor's face, it was not something to be taken lightly. Wally spared a glance in his wife and brother-in-law's direction. The two of them had put their earlier spat behind and looked as though they were struggling to keep it together. It is what Jade would want.

"Is there a cure for this condition?" Roy asked, his voice hoarse from its overuse during his most recent bender. "I mean, it isn't life threatening right?"

The doctor's brow furrowed as turned to face the taller man. "Mr. Harper, this condition could potentially cause your wife to lose the baby, and it even has the potential of ending her life. I know you don't want to lose your wife, and I will do everything that I can to ensure that she and your daughter make it through the rest of this pregnancy."

"It's a girl?" Roy asked, blinking a few times before a smile spread across his face. Jade had not said anything about the baby's sex. Then again, when had he been sober, enough for her to tell him without incident?

"That's right, a baby girl. I have contacted Jade's doctor to bring her up to speed, and I have discussed this condition with Jade. As you can well imagine, she did not take the news well. She must be on bed rest for the remaining three months of her pregnancy to prevent further complications with her pregnancy."

"Three months?" Artemis repeated, the blonde blinking in disbelief. "Doctor, there has to be some other way. Jade has been working two jobs to help support her family. What is she going to do?"

"She could always apply for disability until after the baby is born." The doctor suggested, folding his hands in front of him. "At this point, any stress or overexertion is not got for your sister Mrs. West. I'm sorry, but this is how it must be. Under normal circumstances, we suggest that the patient terminate their pregnancy, but Jade is too far into the baby's development to do that now. So please, try and understand that this is the best option for her."

Artemis breathed out a deep sigh before sparing a glance at Roy who had not said anything yet. He had a focused look on his face, as though the cogs in his brain were starting to turn for the first time in months. Of course, he had waited until Jade's health was poor to finally have an epiphany. The question now is whether he will make a better effort?

Artemis cleared her throat before turning her attention back to the doctor. "Can we see her?"

"She's still a little groggy, so I suggest that only one of you go in at a time. I'll make an exception and let the girls go in with their father. I'm sure Jade could use some good news."

"Actually, I'd like to see her first." Artemis said quickly, causing Roy to turn towards her with a questioning look in his eye. "I promise, I'll be quick."

The doctor looked back and forth between Artemis and Roy. A thick level of tension was walled between the redheaded male and his sister-in-law, and the doctor would bet money that Jade's condition had only strengthened that wall. The last thing his patient needed was more stress. Perhaps seeing her sister first would be the best option.

"Sure thing Mrs. West." He said, giving his final decision. "Follow me please."

Artemis nodded before turning to Wally, motioning to the sleeping boy in her arms. Wally understood her silent message and moved to lift the toddler into his arms. Artemis gave him a grateful smile before giving him a quick peck on the cheek and turning to follow the doctor back through the sliding doors.

Wally watched his wife's retreating form before turning to Roy, who had scoffed in disbelief. With a raised eyebrow, Wally turned and watched as Roy drug himself back over to the waiting room chairs and collapsed on his bottom, his head rolling back as he stared up at the fluorescent lights overhead. Despite everything that had happened over the past few months, Wally knew that Roy loved Jade. The evening's events probably had his friend scared half to death, and that worried Wally.

"You okay man?" Wally asked as he sat down beside Roy, adjusting Tristin in his arms so that the toddler's head could rest more comfortably on his shoulder. Roy sighed, looking up to watch Halen walk over to sit at the play table with Lian.

"This is my fault." Roy stated, rather than questioning his friend. "God…what have I done?"

"Come on Roy. Don't do this to yourself man. It isn't going to change a thing."

"What's happened to me Wally? Things didn't used to be this bad. Jade and I, we were happy. Losing my job really fucked things up and I just didn't know how to shake it. What are we supposed to do now? Jade can't work, I don't have a job, and we only have enough saved up to stay afloat for two, possibly three months. Sure, the baby will be here by then, but we have other expenses to take care of before then. What do I do Wally? God, what am I supposed to do now?"

Wally watched with a heavy heart as Roy finally allowed himself to break, the older man slumping over as his shoulders shook with silent sobs. Wally watched his friend for a few minutes, not sure of how to comfort Roy. Roy had every right to be fearful for the future, especially when there was so much at stake. If he were in the man's shoes, Wally wouldn't be sure what to do either.

The former Speedster watched as Roy sat up, a shaky breath escaping his lips. Wally's lips pressed into a thin line before he took a deep breath.

"Look man, you have to get yourself together. No more excuses, okay?"

"You say that like it's easy." Roy snapped, his voice drawing the attention of the nurses who were currently working behind the emergency room desk. "I tried looking for work after I got laid off, and it didn't get me anywhere. Hell, I'm sure my name is sitting on hundreds of waiting lists all over this damn city! I hate feeling like I can't provide for my family. I hate that I'm such a failure."

"Roy, stop it." Wally said as he rested a hand on Roy's knee. "It's time that you stop feeling sorry for yourself and buck up. You can't allow your failures to keep you from being a winner. You were successful once, and you can get to that point again if you just try. Destroying your liver and ignoring your family isn't doing you any good. You heard the doctor. Jade can't take on any more stress. You have to try man."

Roy took a deep breath before looking over at Lian and Halen, who were coloring at the play table. "Right. I guess it's time to start trying harder."

* * *

"You look like hell." Artemis said, doing her best to make light of the situation. Jade looked up as her sister walked into the room, the raven-haired beauty managing to smile at her little sister.

"After everything I went through tonight, it's only natural that I look my best." Jade said with a small chuckle. Artemis's raspy laughter joined in beside hers as the blonde grabbed a cushioned stool and scooted over to her sister's bedside.

"I'm really sorry about tonight Jade." Artemis said as her smile fell into a worried frown. "I shouldn't have snapped at Roy like that. It just pisses me off how you work your ass off everyday while he sleeps off a binge on the couch. With all the stress your under…it's no wonder you developed this condition."

"I shouldn't have let myself get so worked up." Jade sighed before running her fingers through her hair, the strands sticking out like a wild lion's mane. "I've gotten so used to taking care of things on my own, that having someone else take on my problems is like a foreign concept. I know that Roy has been a lousy husband and a smartass Artemis. I mean, I _do_ live with the man. Despite how awful he's been to me, I still love him."

Artemis watched as Jade took a deep breath and leaned back against the mattress. She winced as the I.V. in her arm shifted, before turning her attention back to Artemis.

"I understand now, why you're trying so hard to help Lawrence out after all he's done." Jade admitted, her voice soft as though she were ashamed to speak out loud. "He caused all of that hurt and pain and you just want to give him the benefit of the doubt. You have a small glimmer of hope that for once in his miserable life, he will prove that he isn't such a bastard. You're fighting hard for him like I'm fighting hard for my marriage with Roy."

"Hey now, Roy has done some pretty awful things, but he and Lawrence can't even compete with each other. Roy has treated you and the kids horribly since he got laid off, but his sins aren't even on the same playing field as Lawrence's. I get why you don't want anything to do with him. Hell, I don't want to bother with him either; but the more I learn about this double life he had, the more I want to help those that he has hurt. Which brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about in the first place. Jade, we have a sister."

Jade stared at Artemis for a few seconds as she let the words sink in, her eyes blinking as though she were struggling to comprehend the idea. Jade's mouth moved a few times, the words caught in her throat, before she let out a stale laugh.

"Just when I thought I couldn't hate the bastard anymore than I already do…" she finally managed to get out. "Was she another walking, talking case of abuse too?"

Artemis rolled her eyes at her sister's harsh words before leaning forward to rest her forearms on the mattress. "I don't know much about her yet. I stumbled across the detail after Mr. Atteberry left my office. All I know is that dad has been making steady child support payments to an account here in Gotham. I found the information in a manila folder, along court-ordered DNA test results. The tested child's name is whited out, but her race, gender, and genetics are all visible. The test was run years ago, about three years before dad even moved us out of Canton."

"Meaning this…girl is probably fourteen or fifteen. God…"

"I don't know if this girl had to grow up like we did, or if Lawrence actually managed to show her some small bit of compassion. I am worried about her getting the financial care she needs once Lawrence finally croaks. Do you see my dilemma? I mean, do you think I should investigate this further?"

"Leave it alone Artemis." Jade said, surprising the blonde. Artemis gave her a questioning look, but before she could speak, Jade raised a hand to silence her. "You are happily married, you have a career that you love, and you have friends who love and support you. You have a _good life_ Artemis. The more you allow Lawrence's shaded past to cloud your thoughts, you will start to lose every bit of happiness that you have. You have a life of stability now. Don't let Lawrence take that away from you."

Was Jade right, or was she just being paranoid? Since Lawrence first told Artemis about his limited time left on this earth, things did seem to be a lot more stressful in his youngest daughter's life. All of the wounds that Lawrence had inflicted on her were slowly starting to open again, even after all the progress Artemis had made since he had been shipped off to serve his sentence.

Years of therapy, night terrors, and glancing over her shoulder had come to an end and Artemis was at a point where she felt the ability to truly _breathe._ She no longer felt shackled in that dingy apartment in the slums, and Lawrence was no longer a threat that was looming over her head. She had gained an unimaginable amount of strength in his absence and she had learned how to truly love someone. She had her sister back, she had the support of her friends to keep on going, but most importantly, she had her Speedster.

So yes, Jade was right. Even though he physically was not present, Artemis could undoubtedly feel Lawrence's shadow looming over her everywhere she went. She should call Mr. Atteberry and have him deal with the affairs on his own; but what of the sister who was somewhere in the city with that monster's blood running through her veins? Was Lawrence a shadow in her life too? Had he hurt the girl in the same way he had hurt his oldest two; and what of the girl's mother?

There were so many questions that Artemis needed answered; and if she walked away now, she would be burdened with the guilt of never having found out. Perhaps this girl was in hell too and needed to be saved?

A knock on the door snapped Artemis back to reality, and the blonde turned just in time to see Wally and Roy walking into the room with the kids. Lian squealed happily when she saw her mother awake and alert, and the ten-year-old ran over to give her mother a hug.

"Careful Lian." Artemis said with a small laugh, as she helped to lift the girl onto the bed. Lian wrapped her arms around her mother tight and buried her face in Jade's hospital gown to hide her face. Artemis knew that Lian was probably crying, and she smiled at how brave she was being.

Halen and Tristin watched their mother and sister with inquisitive eyes, the two of them not too sure of what to make of the situation. Artemis smiled before standing up and walking over to them. She scooped Tristin up into her arms, placing him on her left hip, before giving Halen her right hand and leading him over to his mother. Artemis then sat both boys on the bed, so they too could hug their mother, reminding

"Mommy's sorry she scared you guys." Jade said with a shaky breath, as she struggled not to cry. Artemis watched the scene with a loving smile before walking over to Roy and Wally, wanting to give the mother a little privacy with her kids.

Artemis locked eyes with her brother-in-law before motioning, with her head, for him to follow her out into the hallway. She did not wait for him to respond and headed out of the dimly lit room, Roy's audible sigh reaching her ears before both he and Wally walked after her. The door clicked shut and Artemis spun around, leaning up against the wall opposite Jade's door, with her arms folded across her chest.

"Can't this wait?" Roy asked, irritation in his eyes. "I need to be in there with my family."

"Listen Harper, I'm going to be nice to you right now, because I don't want to bring Jade any unnecessary stress. I know you're scared and worried about her, but you have to step up now Roy. That baby means everything to Jade; and if she were to lose that baby, I don't know what she would do. So please, let's put our differences aside just this once so we can concentrate on doing what is best for her."

"He's got this babe." Wally reassured his wife as he snaked his arm around her shoulder. "He and I sort of had a heart to heart out in the lobby. I think things are going to be okay for now. Right Roy?"

Artemis raised an eyebrow before looking at Roy once more. The drunkard had a hard look in his eyes, and he looked as though he were struggling to keep himself together, but he exchanged a glance with Wally and gave a firm nod before turning and walking back into the hospital room.

" _He's got this babe?_ " Artemis repeated her husband's words before turning to face him. "What exactly is that supposed to mean Wally? You expect me to believe that Roy is suddenly going to change, just like that? There's no way in hell."

"Artemis don't worry about it, please. Just trust me on this. Roy and I were best friends once upon a time. I know him better than you do, and sometimes, better than even Jade does. Things are gonna be different, you'll see. Now, what do you say we get out of here?"

Wally watched as Artemis's curiosity slowly faded, the blonde groaning as she scratched the back of her head and started walking towards the elevator. "Let's go Baywatch." She called over her shoulder, earning a snicker from her husband. Wally smiled at Artemis's backside before jogging after her.

* * *

"You and Jade have another sister?" Wally repeated the information he had just learned, his eyes wide as he stared at Artemis, who was sitting across from him at the dinner table. "I didn't see that coming."

"Well neither did I." Artemis said as she stood from her seat to scrape the remnants of spaghetti off her plate. "I don't have a name or a home address for her, but I know she lives here in Gotham. Lawrence had been making steady child payments to the girl's mother, but her name was omitted from the file as well. I know I shouldn't pry, but how can I not? I have a sister somewhere out there and I must know how she turned out to be. I need to know that she just wasn't another victim. Jade told me to let it go, but I can't."

Wally nodded as he watched Artemis set her emptied plate in the sink. She paused for a second, her hands gripping onto the edge of the counter. She did not say anything for a while, and Wally began to grow worried. When her small sniffles could finally be heard, Wally was on his feet in an instant, his arms wrapped around Artemis from behind. She leaned back into his embrace, her head resting on his shoulder, while Wally pressed small kisses to her temple and cheek.

"I was so scared when I saw Jade on the floor." Artemis admitted, speaking for the first time in minutes. I thought that I was to blame for her collapsing. I thought I had pushed her buttons with the whole Roy thing and that the stress was too much. I had no idea…I mean, placenta previa? I had never even heard of it before today."

"Jade and Roy are going to need us." Wally reminded his wife, who nodded in response. "For the rest of this pregnancy, they will need us to be strong Artemis. Roy isn't the only person Jade has to depend on. She has us, her family."

Artemis nodded before standing upright and wiping the tears from her cheeks. She turned around and faced her husband with red, puffy eyes. It made her look so young and innocent, and Wally could not help but to smile. Artemis raised an eyebrow at her husband, not sure how to read the situation.

"You're so cute when you cry." He admitted before giving her a playful grin. Artemis smirked before slapping his arm. She then walked to grab his finished plate off the table to add to the sink.

"This isn't funny Wally. It's a very serious matter. I mean, what if I were in the same position as Jade? Would you be joking then?"

Wally's smile quickly fell. "Of course not Artemis, but I wouldn't want you to sit around feeling sorry for yourself then either. I am your husband, and it is my job to make you feel better when you're upset. So, if you happened to be pregnant with the same condition as Jade, I would be there for you through it all, making sure to comfort you when you're upset. You can count on that babe."

"If I were pregnant…" Artemis repeated the words with a sigh. Wally felt a small bit of giddiness in his stomach at the thought, but it quickly dissolved when he saw the frown on Artemis's face. "I don't know Wally. This whole thing with Jade really turns off the whole idea."

"Come on babe, you can't be serious." Wally said with a nervous laugh. "What happened with Jade doesn't happen often, you know? It isn't exactly a hereditary thing either. I know the idea of something going wrong scares you but think of all the good that would come out of being parents."

Artemis sighed as she popped the drain cover into the sink and squirted a small amount of Dawn inside. She then turned the faucet on before turning to look at Wally.

"What if I'm not cut out to be a mother Wally?"

"Babe, come on, you would be a _great_ mother! You work with kids for a living. Think of all the little kids that you have taken from abusive homes, and the new happy lives that you have given them. Think of the smiles on your clients' faces every time you see them. You handle every case with dedication and love Artemis because it is what you were born to do. I mean, look at how much our niece and nephew love you. You babysit for Jade all the time and you always keep the kids in line. You know when discipline is needed and when love is needed. You kiss their cuts and scrapes, you comfort them when their said, and you love to do arts and crafts. Babe, wouldn't you love to have a child of your own to pour your heart into – kids that would the perfect blend of us both?"

Artemis stared at Wally for a moment, and she felt her heart hurting at the hopeful expression on her husband's face. This had clearly been something Wally had been wanting, but now was not the time for them to discuss such matters.

Artemis just was not ready, and who could blame her? She had not had the best role model for good parenting growing up. She had some memories from her childhood with her mother, but most of her memories growing up involved Lawrence, and all the abuse she had gone through. How could she be a decent parent when she did not know the first thing about being one?

"Can we not talk about this now?" she asked in a small voice. A look of hurt flashed across Wally's face, and Artemis immediately regretted her words. She reached a hand out, but he had already turned and left the room. With a heavy sigh, Artemis turned around and flipped the radio on, filling the kitchen with the opening piano chords of Journey's "Open Arms." Doing her best not to tear up, Artemis sunk her hands in the sink to get started on the dishes.

* * *

 **A/N:** **And so ends my first chapter back. A lot happened in this chapter, but it introduces one of many conflicts in this story. Artemis's childhood has made her very insecure about how she herself would be as a mother. Obviously, Wally feels differently, so how will their relationship be affected by this?**

 **Then we have the Roy and Jade factor. Will Roy manage to clean up his act and be the husband Jade needs him to be, or will he just let her down again?**

 **The rest of the gang will be featured in the next chapter, and so will the next addition to the plot. So keep your eyes on your email inbox. The next update is coming your way soon!**

 **-KairiAngel13**


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